A New World, The Story Of A Lost Shinobi
by Lanky Nathan
Summary: A different custom. A different language. A different time. A different dimension. Damnit Kakashi, where the hell did your Kamui send me?
1. Chapter 1

**So yeah, I guess this is the first day of my diary. Damn it feels weird talking to myself like this. I mean, do I really have to write every single day down? I've been here for ages already and I haven't needed one. Even if Mira-chan said it's a good habit and could help me get home, I still don't see how this'll actually help do that.**

**Stupid women for being so persuasive. **

**Stupid Ero-Sennin for making me so soft.**

**Bah, I've had enough of this already. Writing sucks anyway, I'm gonna train.**

**Day one, out.**

*A few weeks, maybe months earlier*

Kakashi was carrying an exhausted Naruto on his back after a monumental clash between the blond and the leader of Akatsuki, a being simply known as Pein.

The deluded man had attacked the hidden village of Konoha without hesitation, announcing his decision that it was time the village felt a pain comparable to his own. In one fell swoop, the self proclaimed god turned the whole of Konoha into a crater, killing hundreds and injuring hundreds more. That was when the unpredictable blond on Kakashi's back had arrived and confronted him.

A whole lot of seemingly impossible things then happened that the Jonin could hardly begin to describe, such things like Naruto nearly losing himself to the Kyuubi, Hinata stepping up to Pein, the basin that once was the village being turned into a lake... honestly, if he hadn't had it verified by several reliable resources, he wouldn't have believed it himself. He had been dead the whole time this happened though so it was kind of understandable. Then after all that, Naruto had managed to confront the true Pein, coerce him to stop the madness and then, somehow, the man gave back life to every single person that was killed in the assult. It was as farfetched as you could hope to imagine but here he was, running through the trees, as alive as he was the day before the attack. But even with all the evidence, he still couldn't quite believe it.

Despite this, Kakashi wasn't one to really pick at the details when something worked as well as this had, merely opting to just go with the flow. Smiling behind his trusty mask, his eye shifted to the side to view the blond mop of hair resting on his shoulder.

"How you holding up there Naruto-kun?"

The mass of blond shifted and a blue eye became visible. "Yeah, holding in there. I'll be right after a good sleep, dattebayo."

Kakashi's eye twisted upward as he smiled happily at the response. "Good to hear. We're nearly back so just hold tight."

Shifting his grip, Kakashi vaulted over a branch and suddenly twisted as a kunai nearly lodged itself in his throat. His feet landed on the side of a tree trunk and he pushed off, shooting over to a large branch that was almost complete concealed by the foliage. Backing Naruto up against the trunk, Kakashi shielded his body as he withdrew a kunai from his leg holster, looking around suspiciously for the enemy.

He sweat dropped when Naruto let out a soft snore behind him. Trust the boy to sleep through something like this. He had used up an incredible amount of chakra through the passing events though so Kakashi couldn't blame him. Swinging around, the grey haired Jonin deflected another kunai in line with his heart. Frowning, the Junin snuck a glance at Naruto. It was clear whoever it was had no interest in Naruto. It probably wasn't the Akatsuki either; intelligence indicated that they operated in pairs. Naruto had told him that Pein's companion had taken the body away somewhere to be buried so they were accounted for. Suddenly, Kakashi had to catch a shuriken that nearly lodged itself in his belly. Ignoring the stinging cut on his palm, he flicked his hand and sent the weapon back in the direction it came. He was rewarded with a rush of movement as a body shifted out of danger. Stealing another look down at the boy, Kakashi shook his head ruefully. This was exactly what he didn't need right now. Sighing, he lifted his headband and revealed his sharingan, looking to finish the fight quickly. It was frustrating though, because he couldn't leave Naruto undefended in such a state.

Kakashi's one red eye managed to pick up the tiniest amount of movement off to his left and quickly let off a hail of kunai. Instantly using the distraction, he bit down on his thumb, flicked his hands through some familiar seals and slapped his palm down on the branch. There was a puff of smoke and a small pug was suddenly sitting before the masked man.

It raised a small paw in greeting. "Yo, Kakashi. What's doing?"

Shaking his head, Kakashi pointed in the direction of Konoha. "No time, I'm currently being attacked and I need backup now. Naruto is with me and unconscious so hurry!"

The small dog's eyes widened before nodding once and disappearing in a blur of motion. Silently wishing his friend safety and a swift trip, Kakashi hunkered down and waited. Whoever it was that decided to attack was now taking a breather, gathering themselves for the next round.

The Jonin's eyes flickered around cautiously, taking in every single movement within viewing range. Drawing a breath, Kakashi knew another attack was due any second now. Had it been under any other situation, he would have led the attacker away from his student. Damn this guy's timing.

A hand flicked two kunai at Kakashi, which he quickly deflected. Narrowing his eyes, Kakashi wondered what the attacker was trying to do. Thus far, all he had managed to do was waste a few kunai and shuriken. It was almost like he was stalling for something.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he suddenly became aware of a sizzling sound behind him. One of the kunai had been tagged. Diving backwards, Kakashi grabbed Naruto's shirt and flung the boy away just as the tag exploded. Taking the brunt of it, Kakashi was thrown backwards as he fell through the trees, bouncing painfully off the branches that filled the forest. He bit his lip as an old dead limb crunched under his weight, the sharp wood piercing his right thigh. Finally after that, the ninja broke through the last of the branches to land solidly on his left leg, heavily favouring his new injury. Groaning, he grabbed the wood piece and ripped it out. Blood squirted out of the hole but quickly fell back to a trickle down his leg. Thankfully, it seemed it hadn't nicked an artery.

Ignoring the pain, Kakashi started running towards the direction Naruto had been blown. He had to have taken some form of damage after something like that. Being asleep meant he couldn't have tensed for the shock and probably knocked him out cold. Diving around a rock, Kakashi's eyes widened as he saw a man in an Akatsuki robe kneeling over Naruto. He cursed his luck. Of course now had to be the one time a solo agent was around. They must have been planning this from the start. That first attack on Kakashi was all just a distraction from the man's real goal. Something weird was happening before the man too. It seemed like the very air before him was being warped for some reason, spirals of matter twisting around in front of his face. Naruto seemed to be affected as well, as his body seemed to start dematerialising right before Kakashi's very eyes.

With no time to think about it, Kakashi's sharingan began to twist as it upgraded to the Mangekyou stage. Widening his eye, Kakashi zeroed in on his target.

"**Kamui (Authority of the Gods)**."

Instantly, the air around the mystery man began to twist as well as Kakashi's original technique began to suck the villain into a separate dimension. Sensing the attack, the Akatsuki member dived out of harm's way, growling loudly in annoyance. Unfortunately though, this left Naruto behind as the agent's self preservation instinct didn't involve grabbing other people. The boy fell from the suction of the first technique right into Kakashi's own. Instantly aware of the horrific accident, Kakashi nearly cut off the technique but remembered back to when he fought Deidara. He'd stopped the technique early and had successfully ripped the blond man's entire right arm off. And with Naruto now halfway absorbed into the technique, Kakashi didn't even want to think about the end result of that.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Jonin had no choice but to finish the technique. His eyebrows quivered as the boy disappeared into the air, struggling not to show any emotion. He could only hope Tsunade-sama wouldn't completely decapitate him for this. He managed to take some comfort in the thought that Naruto was indeed being sent alive to another realm. Hopefully the boy would find a way to escape and get back. It didn't matter if Naruto didn't anyway because Kakashi would be sending himself off to that dimension as soon as he was done here. Finishing up, Kakashi wiped his eye as a single tear of blood trickled out of it. Turning to face the Akatsuki agent, Kakashi's gaze hardened as he saw him running away. Whoever this person was, he was guaranteed a very painful death for what he had just done. Completely blocking out the pain from his leg, Kakashi vanished in a flicker as he raced to catch up with the offender.

XxXxXxX

All Naruto knew was pain. Every single cell in his entire body was screaming at him. Unending agony, the likes he which he had never experienced before. If his eyes were opened, all he could see was white. Immeasurably bright, pure, painful white. If his eyes were closed, all he could then see was black. Filthy, burning, hated black.

He tried to scream, but found himself unable to. It seemed that where ever he was, there was no air. Had he the presence of mind, he would have wondered how even being alive was possible. Writhing in his torture, Naruto reached out feebly, trying to touch something, _anything_ to ease his suffering.

For what seemed like hours, he reached out, unable to cry, unable to keep his eyes open; unable to keep them closed, unable to do anything. He didn't know how long he reached, but eventually something grabbed onto his hand with a suction like grip. His hand flailed around, desperately trying to drag himself towards it. Whatever it was, it felt cool, like a waterbed mattress only a thousand times softer.

His hand seemed to fall through it as he shifted and as it did so, sweet relief came to the limb. That single fact pierced his consciousness like a bucket of ice and with a mammoth effort, Naruto reached out with his other hand and let himself be pulled through. Peaceful respite flooded his body as he was pulled free from the world of pain, flopping to the ground outside with a solid thump. The last thing Naruto saw before he passed out was a number of odd looking trees surrounding him and a strong feeling of natural energy. His eyes closed and just as darkness claimed him, a strange voice called out in the distance.

XxXxXxX

"Natsu! Quit stalling already! I wanna get home and have a bath."

"Nah, hold on a second, I smell something funny that way."

"But what about Macao? We really should get him home to rest."

"He'll be alright. Come on, let's go check this out! Happy! Go on ahead would ya?"

"Aye, sir!"

Voices carried through the forest easily in the afternoon light as three curiously dressed individuals veered off the road and began following the nose of the boy who had been identified as Natsu. A larger man was leaning heavily on his shoulder, looking like he had just come out of a rather brutal fight. He didn't look too much like he wanted to take this unnecessary detour either, but didn't really have a choice as he was dragged along energetically. Rounding out the three was a rather pretty young blond girl, the type you'd expect to see in a fashion magazine and not trekking through the mountains covered in dirt. She had a pout on her face as she stomped along after her companions, trying her best to convey her displeasure through physical means. She failed spectacularly.

"Natsu, Natsu! There's something weird just over that hill!"

Looking up, Natsu was greeted by a long time friend floating in the air. A small blue cat with white fluffy wings protruding from its shoulders hovered just above them, pointing energetically over towards the anomaly.

"Hurry up! You might miss it!"

Quite literally smelling an adventure, Natsu let out a howl of excitement and charged off in a cloud of dust, leaving his female friend behind, squealing in embarrassment as she tried to stop her skirt blowing up and revealing everything underneath. Dashing over the hill, his eyes widened as he skidded to a stop.

"Natsu? *cough* Where are you? I can't see anything cause of this stupid dust cloud you created."

"Hmm?"

The girl ran from the dust, only to smack heavily into the backs of her two friends. Crying out, they all toppled forward and landed in a tangled heap. Happy floated down, looking curiously at the group as they tried to free themselves from one another.

"Lucy, it's not really the time for cuddles ya know?"

Growling, Lucy pulled her arm out of the group and glared at the cat. "It's not my fault Natsu stopped so suddenly! You could have been of more use and let me know while you floated up there."

Happy just shrugged and looked down at the still fallen men. "I just thought you'd be fast enough to avoid them. It's not my fault if you're too fat and slow to stop in time."

The girl started grinding her teeth together, glaring at the blissfully ignorant cat as she muttered death threats under her breath. Her grumbling was interrupted though when the strange occurrence caught her eye. Her eyes widened in surprise as she actually saw an arm floating in midair, looking like it was crawling from the center of a strange airborne whirlpool.

"N-N-Natsu, w-what's that?"

Heaving Macao off the top of him, Natsu jumped up and looked at the strange phenomenon before them. "I dunno, looks like an arm."

Lucy smacked the back of his head in frustration. "I know that! But like, what's it doing in the middle of the air?"

Walking up to it, Natsu gave it a few experimental sniffs as he tried to work it out. "No idea. Pretty cool but hey!"

The girl shivered as the arm continued to grow rapidly from the hole. "S-someone's coming out!"

Hearing a groan, Lucy looked down at Macao who was trying to push himself over. "Can you help me out here? I can't see what the thing is and I'm too weak to roll over."

Pursing her lips, Lucy dug her toes into the man's side and gave him a kick, flipping him onto his back. "Much better, thanks."

Just then, a pained cry sounded out from the thing behind them and Lucy dived behind a large tree in fear. Natsu just continued to stare at the torso that was being spat out from the hole. In a final heave, a blond haired boy popped out of the air and fell flat onto his back. His eyes flickered a few times before they closed and he slipped into unconsciousness.

"N-Natsu!"

"Lucy, I think he heard you the first five times."

"Shut up you useless cat!"

"Oi Lucy, come have a look at him! Do you think he's dead?"

"I certainly hope not..."

Cautiously approaching the unmoving human, Lucy looked over Natsu's shoulder. Seeing the slight rise and fall of his chest reassured her enough to walk past her friend and take a closer look. He didn't look all that unusual except for his clothing. He had a strange black and orange jacket on, along with a set of bright orange pants with a bandage wrapped around his right thigh. Actually, those strange marks on his cheeks were also a bit curious...

Hesitantly reaching out, Lucy touched the mark before sharply pulling her hand back. Natsu and Happy were instantly besides her, looking in keenly.

"Oh, what happened when you touched him? Did he bite you?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and ignored them as she rubbed her fingers together. "Those whisker like marks... they're actually in his skin."

Blinking owlishly, Natsu stared at the marks before taking in a huge whiff through his nose. "Heh! He smells super weird!"

"What was that Natsu?"

The boy looked over his shoulder at the still incapacitated man lying several meters back. "I said he smells funny! Like nothing I've ever smelt before!"

"Really? That's rare for your nose. Think we should bring him back to the guild?"

A smile broke out across Natsu's face when Macao suggested the next move. "Yeah, sure! Lucy, you carry this guy. I'm'a grab Macao 'n' we'll head back!

Stiffening at the order, Lucy whipped her head around as Natsu quickly picked up his partner. "Wait, what? You want me to carry this guy all the way back to the _guild?_"

Happy floated down beside her and looked at the boy. "Well, he couldn't be much heavier than you. I struggle to fly when I carry you."

Taking a swipe at the cat, Lucy missed and settled for shaking an angry fist at the animal. "Shut your mouth! If you think he's so light, you carry him!"

Happy had already started floating away, ignoring the girl's protests. "No, I can't, I'm just a little cat. How would I carry him? He's too big."

Stomping a foot angrily, Lucy pointed at his back. "You always carry around Natsu without a problem!"

Hearing no response, the poor blond was left to grumble about crappy team mates and struggle to lift up the deceptively heavy boy.

XxXxXxX

'Ohhh... my head...'

Naruto's mind slowly began to kick back into gear as consciousness started to spread over his senses. His eyes twitched as he struggled to think back over what happened. There was that fight with Pein, then Kakashi came and caught him, then... sleep? It started getting fuzzy about that stage and Naruto racked his brain to try remember what happened.

An explosion, then a hard landing, then someone standing over him? He remembered splitting an eye open and seeing someone in a black coat standing over him. Akatsuki? That would explain the pain that followed. But it was too fast, wasn't it? But still... did that mean he was dead?

Groaning, Naruto wriggled a few fingers to try and test out the theory. There was something solid under his hands, a mattress perhaps? But why would heaven have a bed? A soft gasp off to his side made an ear twitch and Naruto tried to roll his head towards the noise. Who was that? Didn't sound like anyone he'd ever met before. Forcing all his willpower into muscle power, Naruto pulled his eyelids up and a blurry world came into view.

Everything was pretty white, so it could even be the hospital. It didn't smell artificially clean enough though so it probably wasn't. There was a hazy mound standing off to the side which Naruto assumed was a person. The mound called out in a soft voice but he couldn't make out the words. He shut his eyes and shook his head to try clear the fogginess. A wave of vertigo and nausea hit him which instantly made him stop. Very bad move.

A pair of hands came to rest on his person, one on his chest and another under his head. They gently lifted him up and he felt a cup rest against his lips. Taking a test sip, he found it to be full of probably the sweetest water he had ever tasted. Quickly sinking the lot, he tried to say his thanks but his voice just growled around in his throat. Giving up for the moment, Naruto just tried to work on clearing his vision. The water granted him some form of strength which was very well received and quickly put to use.

Blinking a few times, the mound he saw previously came into focus. It turned out the mound was actually a white haired girl in a poofy maroon, full body dress. It had a few frills around the neck which held the strapless piece up, the frills continuing down the front like he had never seen before too. She had very large, blue eyes that seemed to exude nothing but concern and peace. The delighted upturn of her lips finished off her rather inviting appearance very well. The groggy boy decided he rather liked the strange look.

Looking down, he saw another girl, this time blond with a part of her hair pulled up into a ponytail on the side of her head, holding the cup which he suspected he drank from. She also had rather large eyes, this time brown but just as inviting as the first woman's. She had a weird white and blue striped shirt on that looked like it was struggling to deal with the mass of chest beneath it. She also had a rather short skirt on, but nothing Naruto hadn't seen before. Ino wore shorter.

Letting his eyes drift across the room, Naruto picked up on another person in the room, this time male. Seeing his hair, he could now count all of two people he had ever seen that had naturally pink locks. He had a strange sleeveless black and gold trimmed, unzipped waistcoat over his shoulders with no visible shirt on underneath and a weird scaly scarf wrapped around his neck. His lowers were covered with the remaining half of his waistcoat, the open front revealing short white trousers that were tied off at the knee with black ribbons. He seemed to be abnormally interested in Naruto too if those wide staring eyes were anything to go by. Unconsciously creeping back into the wall behind him, Naruto cast a wary glance around. Seeing a striking red headed woman decked out in complete torso armour, Naruto finally found the strength to push himself up.

The first two girls reached out quickly as he sat up, hands held out to catch him in case he toppled forward. Taking another look at the warrior girl, Naruto couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Her entire chest was hidden behind a medieval style chest plate which sharply contrasted with the simple, mid thigh length skirt that covered her upper legs. A pair of matching metal gauntlets covered her crossed arms up to the elbow. The entire uniform was then finished off with long, knee high black boots that were probably a lot tougher than they looked. Her piercing brown eyes never left him, obviously gauging his potential as a threat. Groaning, Naruto held a hand to his forehead and shut his eyes again as a headache made itself known. He heard what sounded like a male voice call out, but he still couldn't make out the words. Something must have been clogging his ears. Taking a deep breath, Naruto held his hand out towards the blond.

"More water, please?"

It took a moment, but the cup was placed back in his hand and he downed the second lot in a flash. Running his tongue over his lips, Naruto sighed happily. At that exact moment, what looked like a bald old midget decided to jump onto his bed. Crying out in surprise, Naruto backed away and the thing was quickly reprimanded by the white haired girl. Again he couldn't understand what was said, so he stuck a finger into his ear and wriggled it around. Popping it out, he sniffed and took another look at the man on his bed.

He was definitely short and old, but still had some hair in the form of these comical tufts sticking out from the sides of his head, along with a matching white moustache that covered his upper lip. He was also dressed in a crazily coloured orange and blue shirt and some blue shorts with these little gnome shoes sticking out from under him. The thing that stood out most to Naruto though was the odd hat he was wearing. It was like a brimless cap but with these two long, thin antenna things that sprouted from the top of it and fell back over his head. It was striped blue and orange and looked positively stupid. It seemed the old man knew the benefits of orange, but even that mighty colour couldn't make the hat look any good.

Naruto snorted and stifled a bark of laughter. What did this guy think he was? A magician? Shaking his head, Naruto looked around the group and eyed each person individually.

"So... where am I?"

The room froze and looked at him with surprised eyes. Frowning, Naruto clicked his tongue and repeated himself. "Oi, I asked where I am?"

The small man before him coughed and drew his attention. He then spoke in a typical old person's voice, the only difference being Naruto couldn't understand a single word that he said. This time, Naruto's eyes widened as he realised something. It wasn't his ears that were wrong, it was just that they were speaking an entirely different language. Not quite sure what to do next, Naruto just looked around the room before sighing.

"Well doesn't this just suck."

XxXxXxX

_A/N – this has been floating around in my head for a while now. I've only managed to find a few good Fairy Tail/Naruto crossovers so I thought to myself, I can write one of these!_

_-This story is a bit of an experimental thing for me so if you want to see something in here, let me know early on. I make sure to read every review and take into consideration what's been asked. If I get enough requests of something it more than likely ends up happening, so don't be afraid to suggest something!-_

_I've just been plodding away at it slowly so don't expect an update all that soon. Just a taste for what's gona later soon I guess._

_The next chapter will more than likely be twice the length._

_Hope you liked the start._

_Thanks to Vandenbz for the beta._

_Lanky Nathan_


	2. Chapter 2

**Eh... day... three. I think. Yeah I missed a day or two, so what. You miss me or something? The only reason I'm back here is cause Mira-chan is breathing down my neck as I write. Yes, Mira, I know you can read this, goes to show I ain't got nothing worthwhile to write down. Can I go now? Yes it's been ten sentences. Ok, now it has.**

**Day three, out.**

XxXxXxX

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Naruto regarded his acquaintances again. If ever there was a time he could scream bloody murder at his woeful luck, it was now. At least they understood gestures, if the refilling of the cup was anything to go by. Letting out another sigh, Naruto scratched his head. If only he knew where he was, he might have a chance at finding his way home. Hearing a cough to his left, he looked down at the old man.

A few unintelligible words popped out of his mouth that left Naruto looking at him with a completely blank stare. Hearing a pretty laugh, the first girl he saw stood forward and exchanged a few words with the old man. Whatever she said convinced him to nod and jump down off the bed. Smiling as she watched him walk back, the white haired girl turned and gave Naruto a slight bow. Placing her hands on her rather ample chest, she patted it a few times. It took a finger pointing up to her face for Naruto to realise the chest patting wasn't the main aim of the gesture.

The red headed girl was giving him a rather scary look while the girl before him just laughed humorously before repeating herself.

"Mirajane."

Realising she was telling him her name, Naruto nodded his understanding. "Mira...jane?"

Squealing happily, the girl clapped her hands and then held her hand out in a questioning manner. It took a moment but eventually Naruto realised she was asking him his name.

"Oh... uh, Naruto."

She raised a questioning eyebrow as she tried to repeat it. "Uhnaruto?"

Snorting, Naruto shook his head and tried again. "Naruto, Na-ru-to."

Smiling, Mirajane tried out the corrected name. "Naruto?"

She then burst into a flurry of weird words that Naruto suspected were greetings or something. Who knew.

Seeing his questioning look though, the girl stopped and gave him a sad smile before stepping back. She then said something which resulted in the pink haired boy running forward and leaning _way _too far into Naruto's personal bubble. It must have been an invitation for the others to introduce themselves. Trying to get some space, Naruto held his hands out and gave him a shove. The boys eyes widened before a sharp blow to the back of his head from the warrior girl calmed him down. Taking a breath, he locked eyes with his new plaything and dragged his name out like he was talking to a child, all the while pointing at his face with both hands.

"Naaaaatsssssuuuuu. Natsu."

Rolling his eyes Naruto sighed. "Right, Natsu, got it. Next please."

The blond had to resist the urge to face palm when all he got was a vacant look. He couldn't even insult anyone here. What a way to take away a guy's power. He wasn't allowed to lament the fact either before the strong redhead grabbed the boy and threw him into the back wall. Looking past the girl, Naruto whistled when he saw Natsu embedded into the wall face first. This girl was **strong**. Hearing her growl, Naruto quickly sat up straight and focused. She mightn't have been as strong as him (maybe), but for the moment, it'd probably be wise to pay attention. The woman said her name once, expecting him to remember it well. Naruto made sure to.

"Erza."

Thinking it'd be polite, Naruto bowed his head slightly in her direction before repeating her name. Seemingly satisfied, she returned the nod with one of her own and a smile before stepping back. Next up was the bouncy blond girl who stuck her hand out with a smile.

"Lucy!"

Grinning, Naruto took her hand in his and shook. He was thinking he'd like this girl once he got to know her. Her squeal of pain though made him retract his hand in shock as Erza swiftly seemed to pull a sword out of nowhere. A kunai was instantly in his hand as he calculated this newest potential threat while scoping out the nearest exits. The tension was quickly broken though as Lucy jumped between them, holding her hands out and saying something rapidly. Erza seemed to be ok with whatever it was because the woman relaxed. She gave the girl a nod before her sword quite literally glowed before disappearing. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise but still had the mind to pocket his kunai. He hadn't seen a storage seal anywhere when that happened!

His attention was brought back to Lucy though as she gave him an apologetic look while saying something. It seemed she wasn't blaming him for the mistake. He accepted it with a sheepish smile of his own as he scratched the back of his head. How was he supposed to know her hand was that weak?

Finally that weird little man from before jumped forward and gave Naruto a healthy smile, raising a hand towards him in a salute.

"Makarov!"

The old man then extended his hand. Naruto hesitantly took it before quickly having to up the grip strength. For a little guy, he had a pretty strong hold. Dropping his hand, Naruto absently rubbed his knuckles as he looked around the group again. Mirajane said something to Lucy that had the girl running up the stairs, perhaps in search of something. Feeling his stomach rumble, Naruto held it unhappily. It felt like it had been forever since he had eaten. Looking at the white haired girl, it seemed like she had the greatest chance of knowing where the food was.

So in a universal gesture for food, Naruto opened his mouth wide and pointed.

XxXxXxX

Lucy stood back as the Master moved in to greet the new boy. She wiped away a few beads of sweat from her brow after having managed to successfully break up the fight that nearly happened between Erza and Naruto. Her hand still hurt from that shake. Even Erza's grip wasn't that strong! She shifted over slightly as Mirajane moved up beside her.

"Well, isn't this interesting?"

Lucy nodded, giving her hand one last rub. "Yeah, I know. I mean, he doesn't even speak our language. I've never come across anyone who couldn't! I wonder where he's from?"

Mirajane shook her head, just as confused as her friend. "I wouldn't know sorry. But to appear from thin air like that... I've never heard of teleportation magic like that. Especially if it was causing him pain."

Lucy frowned slightly. "It almost makes you wonder if he even wanted to come here. He might have been attacked by someone and had a spell cast on him."

Mirajane let out a light breath as she watched the blond boy interact with the Master. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as an idea came to mind. "Lucy, would you mind going and finding Levy for me? If there's anyone who could find out a way to talk to Naruto-san, it'd be her."

Lucy's eyes widened as she heard the suggestion. "Good thinking Mira-chan! I'll be right back."

Dashing up the stairs, Lucy looked over her shoulder as she heard her well natured friend let out a loud, pretty laugh. Reaching the main dining hall, Lucy skidded to a stop before looking around. Seeing a tuft of blue locks, she smiled before calling out and running over.

"Levy! There you are. Can I get you to come with me quickly?"

The girl looked up from the book she was reading. Seeing one of her close friends, she smiled brightly and waved.

"Lucy! What's going on?"

Reaching her, Lucy threw a thumb over her shoulder at the door she came from. "That boy we found has finally woken up! You'll never guess what though, he speaks a different language!"

Instantly, Levy's eyes widened exponentially in glee. "No WAY! THAT IS SO COOL!"

"Shh, shh!" Lucy put her hands out, shushing her friend. "I don't think master wants everyone to know just yet."

Blushing, Levy scratched her cheek. "Oh, sorry. I get carried away sometimes. But yeah, take me to him!"

"Mmmm!"

Gathering her stuff, Levy handed half of it to Lucy and they started walking. "So has he done anything cool yet?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, not really. We found out his name though! It was... Naruko... or something. Oh, and he's really strong too. I shook his hand and he nearly crushed mine without even meaning too! Erza almost attacked him for that though..."

Both girls imagined the outcome and shivered. "Yeah, we wouldn't really want that to happen."

Quickly shaking off the gloom, Lucy smiled as they neared the door. "It's ok but, I convinced Erza it was just a mistake. Mira-chan was actually the one who came up with the idea to get you down to see if you can do anything about the language barrier."

Levy giggled happily at the prospect. "I hope so! I love a good challenge."

Walking down the stairs and through the doors, both girls stopped dead and dropped their jaws with everyone else in the room as they watched Naruto tucking into what seemed like his fifth bowl of food, if the empty plates were anything to go by. Quickly licking the remaining crumbs from the plate, he handed the dirty ones to Mirajane as she passed him a full new plate. He sent her a beaming smile before nearly inhaling the most recent plate.

"He's a hungry one!"

Sweat dropping at the girl's casual remark, Lucy turned and whispered into her friend's ear. "I take what I said back. Here's something interesting about him, he's a bottomless pit."

Giggling into her hand, Levy nodded and walked over to an unoccupied table. Spreading out her things, she waved Lucy over. "I have an idea that may work. Just let me get my pen and a piece of paper and we'll get started."

XxXxXxX

Naruto nodded his thanks to Mirajane as she passed him another load of food. He had absolutely no idea what this stuff he was eating was, but it was delicious! Obviously it was no ramen, but still pretty damn good. Finishing off the plate, he sent his new most favourite girl in the whole world a charming smile while waving the plate, asking for more. When he didn't get a response, he opened his eyes and saw a small blue haired girl standing before him.

Her shoulder length hair was pulled back with an orange bandana and her lithe body was covered by a short, orange one piece dress with white straps to hold it up. Like the other women he'd met thus far, she seemed to have rather large eyes, hers being a light brown. Having another look at her lovely dress, he smiled happily. This was the second person who knew the wonders of the magical colour orange. He was rather quickly warming to these new people. They knew good clothes. Patting himself on the chest, he grinned at her.

"Naruto!"

Seeing her giggle, she nodded and repeated the motion. "Levy."

She then proceeded to lay out a sheet of paper before him and pulled a pen from within her blouse. As Naruto looked down at it curiously, the girl wrote some strange glyphs down and pointed at them.

"Naruto!"

"Eh?"

He looked at her blankly. Sighing patiently, Levy pointed at him, then at the marks. "Naruto!"

Thinking for a second, Naruto nodded slowly. It seemed she had written his name down. Seeing him begin to understand, Levy then handed him the pen. Looking at it curiously, she made a writing movement in the air, pointed at the paper and said his name again. Holding the pen out hesitantly, he looked at her. Seeing her nod and say his name once more, Naruto wrote his name down as neatly as possible. It seemed the girl had something planned. Smiling thankfully at him, she took her pen back and then placed her hands on the paper.

She said a few weird words and then suddenly a bright gold circle filled with all manner of letters and pictures exploded from her hands. Instincts honed by years of battle sent him to the roof in an instantaneous jump, chakra flowing to his feet and gluing him to the ceiling as he stared down at her in surprise.

Hearing a cry of disbelief, Naruto looked over at the now upside down Lucy. Her eyes were wide and a shaky finger was pointing up at him like she'd never seen someone use chakra before. Pursing his lips, Naruto wondered if they even _had_ ever seen someone use chakra. The weird language, coupled with the strange dress style, weird writing and subtle differences in facial structure was slowly convincing him he was somewhere very far away from home. Grinning awkwardly, he stood up and released his hold on the roof, flipping down to land gracefully back on his bed.

During that time though, something weird had happened on the piece of paper. Ignoring the still pointing blond girl, Naruto looked in with interest. The writing had been absorbed into the paper and replaced with something else. Levy then took her pen and wrote something down. Turning, she called out to the still unconscious Natsu. Erza quickly woke him up with a slap to the face before pushing him over to Levy. She spoke to him before he grinned and lifted his hand. Again, Naruto found himself wanting to jump to the roof when his hand exploded into flame. Sending Natsu a wide eyed look, Naruto wondered what else these weird people could do. The boy just laughed at Naruto's unease and waved his hand around a little. This time, Levy pointed at the flames and said something in her language. She repeated the word a few times then pointed at the piece of paper.

Naruto quickly caught on now that he understood the game. She was trying to compare their written language for some reason. She must have found a way to translate it. Enjoying the new game, Naruto let a smile creep onto his face.

"Fire."

Laughing happily, Levy then handed Naruto the pen and he quickly wrote down the word. This time, Levy didn't need to do anything and the words faded into the paper together. Turning, the girl found a blank sheet of paper and pointed at it before writing down what it was. Nodding, Naruto took the offered pen and quickly wrote down what it was. He realised the process might take a while, but it'd be worth it in the end.

XxXxXxX

It was taking a few hours, but the excitement on Naruto's face was more than enough to keep the group entertained as Levy worked. Natsu had needed to be forcefully evicted a little while into the session after he started getting just as excited as Naruto and began to spew flames everywhere. After he had been kicked out, the group had found Naruto firmly attached to the ceiling again, staring at the door they booted Natsu out of with owlish eyes.

This time the shock wasn't as great and the group laughed at him, extremely amused by the blond's defensive reaction. Naruto had pouted rather heavily at this before flipping down to the bed, sulking to himself. Ignoring his discomfort, the brilliant girl before him had continued to toil away, slowly working through easily identifiable objects in the room. This continued on for another half an hour until Levy grinned and turned to face her friends.

"Alright! Hopefully this will work now. Fingers crossed!"

Looking down at the paper curiously, Erza frowned as Levy scurried around the room trying to find something that hadn't already been translated. "So, what are you hoping to do?"

Levy's small backside answered as she rooted around in a cupboard. "I think I have enough information from his language now to begin to translate our words to his. A lot of his characters have started repeating themselves in the words so hopefully now I can write it down so he can understand it. The best part now is if I misspell anything, he can correct it for me and speed up the process even more! So all I need is something... ah-ha!"

Crawling out, Levy held up an old rock that had been hiding down the back of the cupboard for who knew how long. Running back up to Naruto, she sent him a grin and wrote 'rock' down. Seeing him reach out for the pen, she grinned and shook her head. "Not this time, sorry. Let's hope this works."

Quickly scribbling down some runes beside the word, it disappeared before reappearing as a word in the foreign script. Looking up hopefully, she saw Naruto's eyes widened and a massive grin split his face before he tackled Levi in a massive hug, spinning her around a few times before setting the now dizzy girl down.

He pointed at the piece of paper and started babbling away, probably asking how she did that. Holding her head, she stabilised herself before looking up at him and shrugging. "Sorry, I can't really tell you how until I understand you better."

The blond seemed to understand the sentence as he grinned sheepishly and jumped back onto the bed. Nevertheless, first contact had been made. Sitting there with wide eyes, Naruto waited to see what was to happen next. Levy then smiled and handed him the pen, motioning for him to write something. He grinned and quickly started scribbling down a few words. Leaning back, he watched the paper intensely as it translated. Flicking up the result, the group leaned in.

"Hay, nise to meet yor gyes!"

"Woo!"

Cheering loudly, Lucy high fived Levy and then gave her a quick hug. Letting the girl get back to work, Levy started studying what went wrong.

"Obviously this is just a first test, but we should be able to work out the lettering problems soon enough. There, that's fixed it up on our end."

She then sent him the edited version. Reading it, he gave her the thumbs up to show he understood. Leaning in, Lucy pointed at herself. "Do you mind if I have a go?"

"Not at all!"

Clapping her hands happily, the blond girl quickly scribbled down something. Standing back, they waited as Naruto tried to decipher the message. A moment passed before he grew a little pale and a small trickle of blood ran down his nose. Looking over in confusion, Levy questioned her friend. "Uh, what did you write?"

Looking equally confused, Lucy shook her head. "I just said he's wearing nice clothes and I'd like a girl's set?"

XxXxXxX

Naruto absentmindedly wiped away the small dribble of red from his nose. He had gotten excited when Lucy decided to write something down, but hadn't expected, "I want tobe in ur clothes like a girl pair."

There was no chance she knew about his female transformation technique, but it didn't help that his imagination ran overtime at the idea. Pausing, Naruto tried his best to correct the mistakes, making sure to put a rather big question mark at the end. When it went through, Makarov and Mirajane burst out laughing while Lucy buried her head in her hands, instantly bright red. Erza also had the most peculiar look on her face, like she couldn't believe what Lucy just wrote. Levy just laughed at her friend's expense and wrote down what she originally meant. Reading the updated version, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. That could have gotten messy pretty quickly if they hadn't been so understanding. Sakura-chan would have sent him through a wall for even thinking it. He didn't think Lucy would wana write him any more messages anytime soon.

Doing his best to compose himself, Naruto grabbed the pen and changed topics. "So, where am I?"

Seeing the message received, he saw Levy and Makarov quickly talk between themselves before settling on something. Her pen flashed as she wrote down a couple of lines quickly before letting them sink into the paper. A moment passed and then they appeared.

"Your in currently the guild Fairy Tail. The area though caled is Magnolia."

Frowning, Naruto tapped his chin. A guild called Fairy Tail? Magnolia? Just where is this place? Taking the pen, he wrote down his questions very carefully, not wanting to cause any confusion.

"Magnolia? Where is that located in regards to The Elemental Nations?"

It went through but took Levy a second to properly correct the words. Once fixed though, she frowned in confusion and looked up at him. Quickly checking something with Erza, she wrote down her reply slowly.

"I'm sorry, but none of us have ever heard of that place."

The fact her sentence had been correctly translated totally blew over Naruto's head as his eyes widened and his face paled slightly. Quickly snatching back the pen, he hurriedly wrote down, "How did I get here?"

Waiting for the group to discuss his appearance, he clenched his fists as he desperately tried to wait as patiently as he could. He was nearly biting his nails by the time Levy finished writing down her response. Grabbing the paper, he picked it up and read it as quickly as he could.

"Lucy found you. You seemed teleport to appear in the air by a whirlpool swirling air vortex."

Dropping the paper, Naruto tried to digest the information. If what he read was right, then someone sent him here via some crazy jutsu. Wracking his brains for answers, he didn't notice the gentle hands that rested lightly on his arms in support.

'Come on Naruto, what could have it been, what could it have been? I was with Kakashi-sensei at the time... I think I was too far from the village to have anyone else be there... wait, what about that cloaked guy standing over me? He would have just carried me though... But then there was that explosion..."

XxXxXxX

Groaning as his eyes clenched in thought, Mirajane and Lucy looked at each other worriedly while rubbing each arm respectively.

"Mira..."

The white haired girl couldn't say anything so she just shook her head in concern.

XxXxXxX

'Ok, ok, think back, if Kakashi was there, what could he maybe have done?'

Trying his best, Naruto started running through the list of techniques his teacher had. The fact Kakashi had copied something close to a thousand techniques though made things a bit tricky for the academically challenged boy.

'Come on Kakashi, what was there, what was there, what was... wait, what was that?'

Thinking back, Naruto dimly remembered the fight with him, Kakashi and that weird chick looking guy from the Akatsuki who had mouths in his hands. Didn't Kakashi do something weird back then? He did say something about trying to suck his head into something. And according to his memory, it did seem to distort the air...

Opening his eyes, he finally noticed the gentle hands on his arms. Pausing, he tried to think of the best way to handle such contact. Biting his lip, he settled for an awkward smile before reaching out for the pen again. Tapping the tip a few times, he started writing.

"So... I came through a crazy spiral in the air?"

Reading the question, Lucy nodded and stepped back, trying to imitate the thing she saw. It wasn't all that great a description, but it served its purpose. Nodding unhappily, Naruto sighed and looked at the floor.

'Well that's just great. It must have been Kakashi's... **Kamui (Authority of the Gods)**, I think it was, unless it was that other weird guy above me but I doubt it.'

Rubbing his head, Naruto looked up and wrote down another question. "Can you take me to where I appeared?"

Lucy hesitated, looking at the old man. He shook his head and said something. Through the paper, he said, "Not today. It's a fair journey and it's late. Maybe tomorrow, weather permitting."

Huffing, Naruto didn't care if it was midnight, but there wasn't a lot he could do without a guide. So grabbing the pen, he asked another question.

"So how long have I been here?"

Mirajane took up the pen this time, her elegant handwriting gracing the page. "I've been caring for you for close to two days now."

Naruto's eyes widened as he read this. Two days? Even after being kicked around like a ragdoll by the Akatsuki, he was alright after a good night's sleep. Whatever brought him here must have really taken it out of him.

At that moment, a memory flash of the unimaginable pain reared its head and Naruto growled before quickly slapping a palm to his forehead. The pain was gone as soon as it appeared but the after effects remained. He heard some worried chattering from the girls but just waved them off with a disarming smile. Stretching his neck, Naruto lifted himself up easily into a handstand before flipping off the bed. Winding an arm around quickly, he looked back down at the paper and asked if he was able to do some light exercises.

He was getting rather fidgety after sitting still for so long that a chance to unleash a little energy would do him good. Seeing Makarov nod, Erza stepped forward and motioned for him to follow. Looking back, he saw Mirajane and Makarov waving him goodbye while Levy and Lucy were grabbing some things to bring with them. It seemed they'd appointed themselves the official translators for Naruto. Shrugging, he bounced on his toes before running out the door and up the stairs.

Reaching the top, he paused and looked around the massive room he had entered in awe. It seemed he had been in the basement the whole time and was now in the main eating area of this Fairy Tail place. Massive stone pillars held up the roof that seemed to be close to thirty feet above him and a mezzanine floor off to the side, which also seemed to have a bar underneath it. If he could take a guess, he'd place his numbers on that Mirajane worked under there. There was a board beside that which seemed to hold a bunch of papers all stuck haphazardly across it in no particular order. Scanning the rest of the place, he found it full of wooden boxes that sat off in the corners of the room, along with long benches that still had a few sleepy looking people seated at them. There were a few circular tables closer to the bar that had grubby looking wooden barrels as seats scattered around them.

Hearing a sharp call, he turned to see Erza staring at him pointedly, no doubt telling him to hurry up. He saw Lucy and Levy walking past him, chatting to each other animatedly about something, probably him if the little glances they were stealing were anything to go by. Jogging out, he met up with Erza who looked to the sheet of paper Levy had. Taking it up in one hand, she quickly wrote something down and handed it to him.

"I'm take you to a trainin ground neer heer. Try keep up."

Looking at the two girls carrying the books, they just smiled and made a shooing motion at him. Grinning, he turned back to Erza and tightened his Konoha head band before grinning.

"Lead the way, Erza."

The woman didn't respond, instead closing her eyes and calling out in a loud voice. Naruto jumped back in surprise as Erza's entire body began to glow a golden yellow as several bright tendrils lashed out from her, wrapping around her now nude from. Opening her eyes after the transformation, Erza was now dressed in a set of long pants with the bottoms of them in a delightful orange, reaching up half her shins in the patterns of wild flames. A black line traced them, separating the colour from the vibrant red that made up the rest of her pants. White pocket things hung from each hip and from there up, there was skin. _Lots _of skin.

Naruto struggled to tear his eyes away from the barely covered chest of the woman who stood before him. Aside from some tight bandages that held her considerable bust in place, there wasn't a scrap of fabric elsewhere. A little voice in Naruto's head quietly mentioned that he never would have guessed she was that big under her chest plate.

Deciding he'd had a quick enough look, he peered up to see Erza smirking at him. Her hair had also changed. Before, it hung freely down her back to about her waist, now it was pulled back into a single ponytail. She crooked a finger at him in a 'follow me' motion. Turning, she knelt down before dashing off at a surprising speed into the dimming light. Naruto just watched her go for a moment in awe before a giggle behind him brought him back from his daze. Blushing ever so slightly, he coughed and channelled some chakra to his legs, taking off in a high speed rush. The squeal of surprise from both girls behind him made the boy smirk. No one made fun of the mighty Uzumaki and got away with it.

XxXxXxX

Looking over her shoulder, Erza tisked in annoyance. That blond boy was easily keeping up with her for some reason and this was one of her faster suits. Granted, she wasn't anything near full pace, but it was far beyond what a normal human could run. Vaulting a bridge, she saw Naruto front flip the whole thing, land in a roll and pop straight back up, a cheeky grin on his face. Frowning, Erza started to pick up the pace.

"He thinks he's so good showing off? Let's see him try keep up with this!"

Leaning low to the ground, Erza gave a might kick and shot forward nearly doubling her speed. Hearing a cry of surprise from her companion, she allowed a little triumphant smirk as she left him behind in the dust cloud. The smirk quickly turned to a growl as she realised Naruto landed heavily beside her, seeming like he had just jumped from that cloud. Seeing a challenging grin on his face, Erza sent him one of her own before ducking around a tight corner.

The two of them began a game of tag across the city as they vaulted, dodged, swung and kicked off all forms of objects in a effort to one up each other. Erza couldn't say she wasn't surprised either when Naruto took to running along the walls of the buildings, sticking to them like he was running across flat ground. He noticed her shocked glance though and sent her another cheeky grin. Huffing to herself, Erza looked forward, determined not to let him catch her off guard like that again.

One final large jump later, Erza landed in an open field. Hearing the thump of a body behind her, she turned to face Naruto who was looking around curiously. Narrowing her eyes when he wasn't looking, she scrutinised the blond. He wasn't showing a hint of fatigue after all that running despite keeping pace with her. Erza probably had the highest levels of stamina in the guild so meeting someone who had just as much energy as her was unusual.

Dropping to the ground in a wide split, Erza reached for her toes as she warmed her muscles up. Seeing the girl stretching, Naruto gave her a curious glance before shrugging and beginning some gentle exercises himself.

If she wanted to fight him, who was he to say no?

XxXxXxX

Levy and Lucy were now standing at the training ground with both their mouths open a little as they watched the show going on before them. The conversation they were previously having was completely forgotten as they watched the two combatants dance for them. For how energetically they were going at it, the girls guessed that they must have been doing at it for over fifteen minutes. But with them having only just left maybe twenty minutes ago, that means they made it all the way out here in just over five minutes.

"Wow... I had no idea he's be able to keep up with Erza-san of all people..."

"Uh-ha..."

What made them even more nervous though was that during the brief flashes they could see, both fighters had huge grins on their faces, looking like they were having all the fun in the world. Tearing her eyes away from the spectacle, Levy made herself walk to a free bench and start sorting out her books. Lucy followed and began laying out her pile as well.

"So, what's the next step with Naruto-san?"

Levy showcased some impressive multitasking abilities as she continued to talk while sorting through her material. "Well, now that we can talk a bit with Naruto, I wouldn't mind learning his language. I'm expecting that I'd be able to pick it up faster than he would, so doing that means no more annoying pieces of paper. It'll probably take me a few days, but I'll get it soon enough. For how weird it sounds though, I think his syllabary doesn't have all that many more characters than our own, so thankfully that will make it pretty easy to pick up. Every now and then though he throws in a new symbol I haven't seen. Some seem to double up on meanings though so it's becoming a game of pick and choose what character I'd like to use."

Lucy sweat dropped and just nodded, quite happy she wasn't the one tasked with translating Naruto directly. Dropping down beside her friend, she turned her eyes back to the two fighters and let out a sigh.

"What's wrong?"

Resting her chin in a palm, Lucy gave Levy a lopsided grin. "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that all of a sudden, this random boy pops out of nowhere and he's as strong as Erza! I'm just wondering how long it'll be before I'm as strong as them."

Smiling up at her friend, Levy patted her arm. "Soon Luce, real soon, I'm sure of it! Just keep practicing and I bet in maybe a year or two, you'll soon be in the middle of fights just like that."

Lucy shivered as Levy went back to organising papers. "I certainly wouldn't be in something like that by choice..."

Hearing a final boom, both girls looked over to see Naruto and Erza spring apart, each wiping a light coating of sweat from their brows.

"Well done! It's been a while since I've had a fight like that. Come take a break before we get started again."

Erza then sighed as Naruto gave her a clueless look. Waving him over, she pointed at the seat and made a tipping motion with her hand like she was drinking something. Understanding springing to his face, he nodded happily and ran over, passing Erza as she calmly walked back.

Reaching the seat, he looked around for a bottle but didn't find one. Looking back at Erza, he shrugged. Rolling her eyes, the woman let out a sigh before pointing at a bubbler. Wondering what it was, Naruto wandered over to it, walking around the pole a few times. Tapping it, he grasped the handle and twisted, receiving a blast of water to his face. Coughing and spluttering, he stumbled back and wiped his eyes as all three girls burst out laughing. Sneezing once, Naruto looked at them through a half opened eye and blushed slightly, though grinning all the same. Erza shook her head with a smile as Naruto tried again and looked down at the smallest of the three.

"So what do you think will be happening next? I'd imagine you'd want to learn his language."

Nodding, Levy flicked through a few pages that had most of Naruto's alphabet on it. "Yep! I nearly understand his written language so from that, I want to start talking to him without paper. Then, I can teach him our language!"

Erza smiled at her and placed a hand on her head. "As I'd expect of you. I do ask that you try and learn it as fast as you can though. I'm quickly growing tired of writing to him like he's my pen pal."

Chuckling to herself, Levy blushed at the praise. "Oh, it's nothing special, just doing what I can. Anyway, here's that pen and the translating piece of paper. I'd assume he'd have some questions for you. Oh, and I also tweaked it so it will pick up any mistakes and correct them as the chance comes."

Nodding, Erza walked over to Naruto and found him wiping his mouth as he finished drinking. Handing him the pen and paper, she refreshed herself as Naruto started scribbling away on the paper. Wiping her own mouth, she accepted the question.

"So howe did yu get so srong? Nd what was up with the glow body?"

Erza chuckled and started writing. "To answer your first question, just lots of hard work. As for the second, that's my magic, requip."

Handing it back, Naruto studied the paper before he looked up at Erza in confusion. He handed her the paper back.

"Magic?"

The red heads eyebrows rose at the question. "Yes, magic. It's something every living creature in Earthland has, but only a small percentage can actually use it."

The paper was handed over.

"But, isn't magic jst a myth?"

Erza frowned at the question. "No, it is a part of everyone, even you I'd imagine. Why, how did you do the things you did?"

"Chakra. That's what's in me. Not magic."

Staring at Naruto, Erza wasn't convinced. "Show me."

Shrugging, Naruto stood back. "Alright."

Assuming the 'Ram' hand seal, the blond began drawing upon his massive reserves. A slight blue glow began to encompass his form and Erza took a step back as a small breeze started blowing her pants and hair around. When it started buffeting her about a bit more, she held a hand out.

"Alright, alright, I believe you."

Hearing her speak, Naruto looked up and lowered his hands questioningly. Erza growled and grabbed the annoying piece of paper.

"I believe you now. I have a great many questions I'd like to ask but this method is far too cumbersome. Levy is working on learning your language so once she has that completed, we will talk more about it then."

Taking a moment to read the note, Naruto gave Erza a firm smile before scribbling back down something.

"That's fine by me. I also got a bunch of questions for you 'n' Levy 'n' Lucy baout magic too, dattebayo!"

Pausing, Erza considered the last word. "Dattebayo?"

Realizing his slip up Naruto just blushed and waved the question away. The girl smirked. A catch-phrase. How cute. Walking back over to Levy, she handed her back the paper. "My thanks. For now, myself and Naruto will continue to lightly spar. If you could stay with us until we finish, it would be greatly appreciated."

Lucy sweat dropped while Levy agreed cheerfully. _That _was a light spar? Shaking her head, she held her hair as Erza kicked up a small whirlwind as she jumped back to confront Naruto. Watching as they reengaged in their fight, Lucy couldn't help but lean in closer to her friend.

"So, what do you think that weird blue glow around Naruto was?"

Words were flicking across the translator paper and Levy was watching them intently. "I'm just going through the history to see."

Lucy's eyebrows rose. "You can do that?"

Levy hummed vacantly before pausing the words. "Here, Naruto-san is saying something about 'chakra'. I wonder what that is?"

Lucy shook her head. "When it comes to him, I don't think I understand a single thing. I can't wait to be able to talk normally with him."

Levy nodded in agreement as a plume of dirt was sent into the air via a missed kick from Erza. "Neither can I. Guess I'll just have to work doubly as hard to learn his language!"

XxXxXxX

_A/N – well, after such a fantastic response to the first chapter, I thought it would be prudent of me to reward your efforts. 22 reviews and an overwhelming 67 favorites in just 2 days. So thank you so very much! It's good to see such positive feedback._

_Sorry for the massive description scenes and minimal talking too, this will change once Naruto learns Earthland language, along with a jump in humour._

_And once again, if you have ANY suggestion for the story, please let me know. I might surprise you and put it in =)_

_Edit - A quick thanks to deitarionSSokolow for helping me out with the theory behind the Japanese language. Also to Vandenbz for the beta._

_Lanky_


	3. Chapter 3

**Day Four... alright, I gotta confess, something REALLY weird happened today. Not just that Mira-chan isn't making me do this, but that for some reason, my summons have gone wrong. I go to call up Gamakichi and see if he might know how to get me home, and I get a tadpole. Like, the smallest thing I have ever seen too. Not even when I was learning the stupid technique was it that bad! I duno what's wrong here. I hope it's an easy fix. Definitely looking into this soon.**

**Day Four, out.**

XxXxXxX

After the group had left, Mirajane and the Master decided to hang back and try work out what to do with Naruto. That, and try clean up the mess that was always left at the end of a standard day. Mirajane worked the wide spaces and bench tops, while Makarov cleaned under the tables. Being short had its advantages.

Straightening up from one table, Mira wiped her forehead and looked over at a jiggling table. "So where do you think we should have Naruto sleep? He can stay here for another few nights, but having him live in the basement isn't all that great."

Giving one final thump, the table grew still and Makarov jumped up onto the top of it. "Hmmm. I suppose that could be a problem. I'd say let him stay up at Fairy Dorms for a day or two, but he'd be eaten alive by the girls up there."

Mira shook her head. "Not to mention it _is_ girls only."

Makarov shrugged. "Since when did that ever stop me? Also, with him having absolutely no money, he couldn't really afford to stay anywhere outside of the guild either. I wonder if he'll be alright here by himself though."

Mira tilted her head to the side, giving her Master a happy smile. "Oh, that's no problem there. I don't mind staying and making sure he's ok. Now that I can actually talk with him also makes everything easier."

Looking up at his taller partner, Makarov scratched his moustache. "Well, that would be a great help Mira. It also takes away the chance that he'd nick something while we weren't here."

"Not a problem at all!"

Hearing a noise at the door, they turned from their conversation and saw the group walking through the large entrance.

XxXxXxX

After finishing up the spar with Erza, Naruto and the group had taken a leisurely pace back to the guild so the newcomer could take in the sights. He mostly ignored the amused giggles from the girls as he looked around in fascination.

The roads were all covered in a smooth cobblestone with a majority of the buildings having it raise a few feet up the shop front before turning into a smooth render, usually coloured in greys and whites with the occasional touch of brown. It was pretty in a rather quaint way, though Naruto would never admit that out loud, even if the girls couldn't understand him. There was the occasional horse drawn carriage tied off to the side of the road as well, though the actual horses were nowhere to be seen. Grabbing the ever trusty piece of paper, Naruto scribbled something down.

"It seems like a pretty safe area around here. No locks on the carts or anything."

Nodding, Levy looked around fondly. "Yeah its a prety good place. With Fairy Tail just down the road, criminal acts are prety rare."

Nodding, Naruto fixed up the spelling mistakes. The paper glowed slightly in the low light as it adjusted to the changes. Handing it back, he went back to looking around. There weren't many trees but even so, the structure of the town reminded him of home. He sighed, a thoughtful look on his face. It was a nice get away he supposed, but he'd also really like to get back and say hello to his friends. He didn't get the chance after the fight. Tucking his hands into his pockets, he began to unconsciously tune into the light conversation beside him.

It was a funny language, if for how their mouths moved more than anything. They seemed to use their lips is a completely method to his so the unusual movements distracted him from his sightseeing. It had a pleasant sound though, as it seemed to gently run from their mouths effortlessly. Smiling slightly, Naruto could see himself falling asleep to the noise. He heard his name briefly amongst the rest of the incomprehensible language and he rolled his eyes with a grin.

'What are they talking about now. I wish I could just learn how to speak it already.'

"Naruto!"

Hearing his name, he saw Lucy pointing at a house and waving at him. Must have been her home. Nodding, Naruto sent her a grin and a wave as she ran up to her house. She disappeared behind the door with a click and a final wave. Smiling to himself, Naruto clasped his hands behind his head and started walking. An elbow to his ribs made him look down, seeing Levy with a suspect look on her face, grinning seedily. Nudging her back, Naruto stuck his tongue out at her in a teasing manner.

The group then fell into a comfortable silence as they walked the rest of the way back.

XxXxXxX

Wiping their shoes, Levy was the first to run forward, bowing slightly to the Master and grinning at Mirajane. "Well, we're back!"

Mira nodded happily, hands clasping a tray before her. "Welcome back! Did you have fun?"

The small girl nodded. "Yup! Also, I think I've pretty much worked out the kinks in Naruto's writings so as of tomorrow, I'll be trying to learn his language!"

Makarov nodded his approval. "Well done. That'll be a big help. I've only used that paper once and that was annoying enough in itself."

Blushing, Levy mumbled something that sounded bashful and stood off to the side. Giggling at the humble girl, Mira turned back to the remaining two and bowed slightly. "Welcome back! I trust it went... Phew!"

Holding her nose, Mirajane stuck her tongue out. "You two stink! Showers, now!"

Erza lifted an arm and gave her pit a hefty whiff while Naruto ducked his head into his jacket. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise we worked so hard. Please forgive the smell."

Sighing, Mirajane nodded but didn't let go of her small nose. "It's pretty humid tonight so I guess it's expected – wait, Naruto, what are you doing?"

While not able to understand the words, Naruto understood plenty well enough that Mirajane thought they stunk. So in true Naruto fashion, he advanced on her slowly, arms wide in an inviting hug. Taking a step back, Mira's eyes widened.

"No, no, Naruto, please no!"

Letting out an evil laugh, Naruto charged. Mira let out a girlish scream and threw her tray into the air, dashing around to the far side of a table.

Watching the two play, Makarov chuckled to himself as the pair ran circles around the benches. "So Erza, myself and Mirajane were just discussing where Naruto could stay outside of the guild. He's welcome to stay as long as needed, but once he adapts to Magnolia, he'll have to live elsewhere. A basement isn't where someone like him should live. Any ideas?"

Erza grinned as Naruto's hand snagged Mirajane's dress, eliciting a squeal from the girl. "I can have a think for you, Master. I doubt he'd want to stay with Natsu and Happy. Grey might more be his style. If all else fails, I could lend him some money and have him pay me back at 3% interest a month."

Suddenly, a horrified shriek sounded out as Naruto jumped on Mira after having successfully run her into a corner. No mercy was spared as the blond held her in a tight embrace, making extra sure to rub his cheek against a squirming Mira's.

"Noooooo! Narutoooo!"

Naruto just laughed and let go after a moment, avoiding the angry swipe at his head with ease. Mira was now well and truly coated in dirt and other substances, an adorable pout on her face to compliment the look. Naruto's infectious laugh quickly cracked her façade though and the girl found herself beginning to grin with him. Hearing a chuckle, she looked over at the Master and Erza.

"It seems like Naruto here is just as adept at lightening the mood as Natsu is."

Giving up, Mira let out a defeated sigh and smiled. "I suppose it is too hard to stay angry at him." Still, she levelled a pout at Naruto and pointed at him. "I will get you back though!"

Seeing the confused look on his face, Mira smirked and started dusting herself down. Getting what she could off, she sighed and looked over to where Levy was sitting. The girl had a strange look on her face; almost looking like Erza did those few times Mira caught her reading those dirty books of hers. Pausing, she shook her head and smiled like usual.

"Levy, could you please tell Naruto that he will be staying here again for the night? Also, tell him there is a shower at the far left hand of the basement."

Levy's face returned to normal and she nodded, writing down what was requested, then calling over Naruto. Seeing the message, Naruto turned and saluted Mira cheekily before running off to get clean, avoiding the cloth Mirajane chucked at him.

Grinning like a grandfather at their antics, Makarov turned for the door with a chuckle. "Well, it seems you two lovers have things mostly sorted here. I guess I'll leave you to it."

"Master!"

"Oh, and one more thing." Makarov looked over his shoulder. "Tell Naruto to grab a photo of you two for me if you end up making out!"

"MASTER!"

Giggling perversely, the little man scurried out the door, a tray slamming into it just after him. Sighing, Mirajane shook her head at the insatiable old fool. His voice then floated back in through the safety of the door. "While you're at it, you can put the tables back in the basement. Might as well introduce our visitor to the rest of the mob. Thanks!"

Mira didn't answer, still pouting at his lecherous crack.

"Master will never change. I suppose I should follow his lead too. Levy!"

Hearing Erza call her, the small girl nodded and ran over. "Here, I'm sure you can find more use for it tonight than we will."

Seeing the girl send her a wink, Mira widened her eyes. Honestly, what was wrong with everyone tonight? Erza just chuckled and clapped the light girl on the shoulder, sending her spiralling into a bench with a crash. "Enough for tonight. I must be home. Levy?"

Dragging herself from the wreckage, Levy unstably righted her bandana before giving them a shaky thumbs up. "S-sure."

Mirajane watched as the two walked/staggered out and sighed. Perverse as half of them were, they would always be her closest of friends. Turning back to the benches, she absentmindedly righted the over turned table and continued cleaning the rest, all the while humming to herself softly.

XxXxXxX

Naruto wandered from the shower towelling off his hair. He had sealed away his training gear to be washed later, whenever he got that chance. He paused when he was greeted with the sight of Mirajane struggling to move a table into position. When she saw him, she smiled and straightened up. She cocked an eyebrow though when she saw Naruto's new gear. She drew her hands down her body and then pointed at Naruto questioningly. Looking around, Naruto made a writing motion in the air. The paper quickly found itself in his hand.

"I sealed my clothes away to be washed later. These are just a spare set of sleepers I keep with me at all times."

Eyes widening in surprise, Mirajane took the sheet.

"Sealed? And where did you keep these pants? I didn't find them anywhere when I washed you the first night you got here."

Reading the reply, Naruto phased out slightly. Mirajane, washing him? Nice.

Clearing his thoughts, he grabbed the pen. "Uh, yeah, I'll show you."

As Mira read it, Naruto pulled his scroll out. Placing it on the floor, the girl above him leaned in curiously. Grinning, Naruto placed a palm to the strange circular marking in the middle of the page and channelled some chakra. He laughed when Mira cried out at the small explosion as it revealed his dirty clothes. Waving away the smoke, she pinched her nose and looked at them in surprise, absolutely astounded at where they came from.

"You're a requip magician like Erza?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I activate this by something called chakra. I'll tell you more about it once Levy can translate for me."

Nodding, Mirajane winced at the smell. "Well still, we can't leave these as they are. Bring them with me, we'll leave them to soak in the sink."

Picking up the putrid mess, he dumped them in the running water and turned to Mira. "So what were you doing with the tables?"

The girl wiped her hands down before replying. "This was the mess hall before you came along. Now you're awake, Master said we can move everything back."

Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow. "Master?"

Mirajane gasped softly. "That's right, you don't know, do you! Makarov is the Master of this guild, the number one strongest Mage we have!"

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean that tiny little old guy? Yeah, he had a good hand shake, but the _strongest_?"

Smiling, Mira nodded. "Yep. No one can hold a candle to him when he goes all out."

Whistling, Naruto leant back on a table. "Who would have guessed? That's kinda mean of him then to leave all this work to you then when he's the strongest!"

Laughing, Mira turned back to a table, straightening it. "No, it's ok. He might be strong, but he is old so I don't mind. It used to be easier but I guess I've gotten a little weak over the years."

Shaking his head, Naruto stood up. "Well, I'm definitely helping you then. I gotta do something to earn my keep."

As Naruto wandered up the stairs, Mirajane called out to him and made a circular motion with her hands. Nodding, Naruto disappeared for a moment before coming back down a moment later with two tables, one on top of the other.

Mira's eyes widened in shock and started shouting something at him. Pausing, Naruto looked at her strangely and shrugged. 'Wonder what she's gone all crazy about.'

Seeing his look, Mirajane composed herself before writing down what she meant. "Sorry, you just took me by surprise. There aren't that many mages in the guild who have that kind of latent strength."

Naruto shrugged again and smiled sheepishly while lowering the tables. "Oh, well, surprise!"

After the initial shock, Mirajane was more than happy for Naruto's help as it significantly sped things up. It still took another half an hour to get everything right, but when they finished Mira gave Naruto a special thank you drink and several bowls of food.

"I'll let you finish off here then. I'll just be upstairs, so don't be afraid to ask for any help!"

Nodding, Naruto continued to tuck into the bowl as Mirajane closed the door behind her.

XxXxXxX

Naruto stretched as his body clock woke him up. It was still pitch black but Naruto felt fully refreshed for some reason. His internal timer must have been out after sleeping two full days. Licking his lips, Naruto swung his legs over the edge of the bed, covering his mouth as he yawned. Standing, he made his way to the bathroom to clean out the yuck taste in his mouth and try wake himself up.

He wandered out five minutes later feeling a little better. Stifling another yawn, he reached for his scroll but stopped. His clothes were still in the sink. Bother. Traipsing over to his gear, he sighed. Completely saturated. Pulling them out, he tried to wring them out but only managed to remove about half the water. Hanging them over the edge of a chair, Naruto had a thought. Maybe a little wind chakra would do the trick? Grinning, he slipped the soggy things on and formed the ram seal.

"Alright, let's try out **Fuuton:** **Fuku Ha Kansou no Jutsu** **(Wind Release: Clothes Drying Technique)**!"

He tensed and suddenly, he was standing in the center of what looked like a giant water bomb explosion. The floor, walls and roof had all been sprayed with millions of water droplets, the intensity of the drenching decreasing as the distance from Naruto increased. Patting himself down, Naruto grinned happily.

"I have to say, total success, dattebayo!"

Stepping out, he then slipped on the now well lubricated stone floor. Typical clumsiness kicked in and in a thunderous crash, Naruto found himself amongst a number of upturned tables. The door to the room was flung open a second later as a panicked Mirajane came running in, only to slip over just as Naruto did. Her landing was a lot quieter than Naruto's, but the thud that echoed through the room as her backside made contact with the floor promised a colourful bruise later. Groaning, she rubbed the area tenderly as Naruto laughed at her, quite amused.

Dropping her head in frustration, Mirajane got to her feet with a wince and found the light switch. Naruto's eyes thinned to strips as he was blinded by the brightness that flooded the room. Waiting a moment, he opened his eyes to find a note thrust in his face.

"What happened here?"

Laughing sheepishly, Naruto explained what happened as best he could. Mira looked at him disbelievingly but all Naruto could do was shrug. Not his fault it worked so well. Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto righted the tables before grabbing the pen.

"So yeah, I was planning on going out for an early morning training session. I didn't mean to wake you."

Shaking her head, Mira smiled. "No, that's alright. I would have gotten up soon anyway to start opening the guild. Go right ahead. Breakfast is at Eight Thirty."

Grinning, Naruto ran for the door. Pausing, he ran back. "What time is it now?"

Mira giggled. "Six-thirty."

"Plenty of time. Catch ya then!"

Dropping the pen, he gave her a wave before disappearing out the door.

XxXxXxX

Standing on the roof of the guild, Naruto held his hand to his eyes as he surveyed the town. He whistled, not expecting such a massive amount of houses so tightly packed together. Behind him lay a vast expanse of water which was probably the ocean. The town then spread out backward from the port. Largish craggy hills raised up on either side of the town, probably twice the height of the guild. A few trees spotted them but quickly disappeared at the base where the houses came up to meet them. An interesting canal connected to the ocean wove its way through the city, branching off at random individual points. It seemed to split the town in half too, the front half looking older than the back half. Far beyond that though lay a large expanse of green and blues, shimmering slightly in the warm red sunbeams of the morning.

Grinning, Naruto took a deep breath of the rich air and dived off the building. Landing lightly on a roof several houses over, Naruto pushed off and began roof hopping as he dashed toward the grass plains. Jumping high across the canal, Naruto whooped out loud as he flew. He couldn't remember a time when he had felt so full of energy.

"Damn, this place is just brimming with life! When I go home, I _must_ find a way to come back here!"

Jumping high, Naruto used **Shunshin (Body Flicker)** to send himself even higher into the air, grinning broadly at the spectacular view. Spreading his arms wide, he let himself topple forward in a lazy arc as gravity began its job of pulling him to the ground. Landing heavily on the stone pavement, his powerful legs absorbed the shock before springing him down the lane. Houses, carts, trees and the occasional pedestrian blurred past him, nothing more than a few streaked lines as Naruto laughed heartily to himself. Damn it felt good to just run sometimes.

Finally bursting from the stone jungle, Naruto skidded to a stop as he checked out the land. The occasional rock lay about the grass with a few more trees here and there. Swinging an arm around, Naruto jogged on the spot for a second before running over to a rock. Sizing it up, he lifted the thing out of the earth with a grunt.

"Alright, fifty squats."

Dropping to his haunches, he stood back up with a groan. The rock was a bit heavier than he first thought. Never the less, he finished off the fifty and dropped it back into the hole. What followed that was a few reps of push ups, sit ups, and chin ups, all with something heavy added to increase resistance. After finishing off, the blond wiped his forehead and dropped down on a rock to take a breather.

"Naruto!"

Hearing his name called, he turned around. Standing behind him was that weird spontaneously combusting kid, what's his name... Natsu. He shouted something that sounded challenging and finished off with a finger pointed at Naruto. Naruto just dropped his head to the side and squinted one eye.

"Wha – ah!"

Bending over into a back hand spring, Naruto barely missed the flame coated punch that was aimed at his face. Bouncing back a few meters, he growled and pointed a finger back.

"Oi! Warn a guy before you come in swinging like that, dattebayo!"

Natsu just let out another battle cry and charged. Sighing, Naruto smirked and raised a cross with his index and middle fingers. "Fine, you wana play? Let's play."

Unleashing a powerful kick into Naruto's face, Natsu was totally unprepared for the explosion of smoke that went up upon impact. He didn't get time to think about it though as Naruto suddenly came from behind to boot Natsu fair in the middle of his back and send him spiralling away. Landing lightly, Naruto grinned. "**Kawarimi (Body Replacement)** plus **Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)** equals Naruto kickin' your ass. How'd ya like that?"

Natsu stood up and wiped away some spit from his mouth as he glared at Naruto. It looked like he was gona take it seriously this time. Raising his hands, Naruto settled into an easy stance, waiting for the boy to charge. It only took a moment before they were back at it again.

Naruto's eyes easily tracked the path of the wide, yet powerful punches that were coming in at him from all angles. He fell into a defensive form, easily redirecting the punches away from his person, his grin widening as he did so. Natsu didn't seem to have all that much of a technique and assuming this was how he always fought, he seemed to rely purely on his impressive speed and power to simply overwhelm his opponents. Rolling his eyes, Naruto thought back to his academy days. This must have been much like what Kakashi-sensei experienced when he first fought him, just without the flaming hands.

Hearing a frustrated cry, Naruto smirked. It seemed this boy had the same temperament as young Naruto too. His punches were getting wider and sloppier as he tried to throw more force behind them in an effort to break Naruto's guard. Thinking about that first fight with Kakashi, an evil twinkle entered his eye. Palming a fist wide with his inside hand, Naruto gracefully spun around the outside of Natsu and wound up behind the boy. Clasping his hands together, Naruto formed a strange seal with both index and middle fingers pointing up. Time seemed to slow down as Natsu's head turned, eyes blazing.

"Let's see how you like it Konoha style! **Sennen Goroshi** **(One Thousand Years Of Death)**!"

Upon contact, Natsu let out a horrified, pain filled scream as he was sent rocketing into the air, hands clutching his grossly violated backside. Naruto just dropped to the floor, wracked with laughter as his unfortunate victim was sent flying into a tree.

"Hahahaha you should have seen yourself! Oh boy, that's just too much! I think I'm gona die, dattebayo!"

Naruto continued to roll around on the ground for another five minutes before he finally managed to control his breathing enough to sit up. Wiping tears away from both eyes, Naruto continued to chuckle and hiccup as Natsu finally fell from the tree with a splat. Struggling to his feet, Natsu held himself up by a hand on a shaky knee, glaring daggers of hatred at the still giggling boy. Hobbling forward, Naruto held up a hand, the other still occupied with holding his aching sides.

"Wait wait, its breakfast time. You know, food?"

Naruto made a biting motion, erratically being interrupted by a hiccup or chuckle. Realising the time, Natsu looked to the sky before his eyes lit up. Shouting something at Naruto, Natsu took off at a swift pace; though still with a hitch in his step as he ran. Falling onto his back, Naruto closed his eyes in bliss as he let the sun warm his face. What a way to wake up.

Feeling something wet hit his cheek, Naruto flinched and touched the spot. Water? Hearing a rumble in the sky, Naruto rolled over and looked off at the horizon. Deep black clouds had begun to assemble over the ocean and had started making their way towards land. Cursing his luck, Naruto pushed himself to his feet. This probably meant he wouldn't be able to go check the area he appeared in for clues now, and on top of that, any minute ones would probably be washed away. Cursing again, Naruto looked over his shoulder to the greenery behind, wishing he knew where they had found him. Sighing dejectedly, Naruto turned back to the town and started running.

XxXxXxX

"Where do you think Naruto could be? It's absolutely pouring down out there!"

Lucy and Mirajane stood back from the guild door by a few feet, looking out at the grey sheet of water that stormed down from the sky. Natsu had appeared earlier, shaking himself like a dog before charging down to the basement to find some food.

"You looking for Naruto?"

Hearing a cute little voice, the girls turned. "Happy! Yeah, we're just wondering where he is. He should have gotten back a while ago..."

Gnawing on a raw fish, the small airborne cat somehow managed to speak around it without muffling any of his words. "Natsu said he went to fight him this morning. After that Natsu left Naruto behind because it was breakfast time."

Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? Do you know who won?"

Happy looked up in thought. "Natsu lost. He said something about getting finger raped."

Blinking a few times, Lucy just turned back to the door. "I think I'd rather not know."

Just then, a bang and crash sounded out in front of the doors as Naruto toppled down off the roof to land in a crumpled heap before the trio.

"Naruto!"

Running into the rain, both girls grabbed an arm and dragged the blond inside. Shaking his head, Naruto spat out a mouthful of water and mumbled something in his language. Mira fished around in her top before pulling out the magical pen and paper.

"What happened? Why are you so late? And how did you get up there?"

Standing up, Naruto held a hand out, motioning to wait a moment. Stepping back, he formed a weird hand seal and visibly tensed. A bomb seemed to go off and a startled Lucy, Mirajane and Happy froze as the front halves of their bodies were hit by a shockwave of water. Looking over, a now dry Naruto paused before laughing awkwardly and taking the pen and paper from an immobile Mira. Peering at it, Naruto had to wave it about a bit to dry it off. "Uh, sorry about that. Put too much force into it, again. So yeah, I was on my way back here when the storm hit. I couldn't see a damn thing and by the time I reached the guild, it was too close and I kinda smacked into the second floor. Oh, and I jumped."

Daintily taking the paper back, Mira opened an eye and read the note. She paused at the last answer but just shrugged it off. Forcing herself to move, she nodded stiffly before writing something. "That's ok, so long as you're safe. Oh, and try not to set off your... water bomb thing around us anymore if that's possible."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at this, scratching his head and nodding apologetically. He then looked up and saw Happy floating there. "What the...?"

Seeing his questioning glance, Lucy shook off her shock and took over. "This is Happy. He's Natsu's pet cat. Yes, those are wings, yes he can talk and yes, it's magic."

Having all questions answered, Naruto shrugged and accepted it. He'd seen weirder. Sticking a hand out, Naruto smiled and introduced himself. "Naruto!"

The cat stuck its own paw out but didn't take Naruto's hand. "Happy!"

They then stood there for a moment before Happy turned away without a word and floated off down to the basement. Not quite sure what to do, Naruto looked at his two remaining escorts. Seeing Lucy sigh and Mira chuckle, he lowered his hand. They then motioned for him to follow them as they walked past him and towards the basement. He stood there for a moment before deciding it would probably be in his best interest to follow them.

XxXxXxX

"Wah!"

Dropping flat to the ground, Naruto stared at the table that sailed over his head, barely missing him before shattering on the door he just walked through. Casting a shocked glance over at the two girls he followed, he saw them chatting away casually like the entire room before them wasn't in the middle of an all out brawl. Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto looked around to make sure no one saw him dive to the floor. No one? Good.

Dusting down his front, he made his way over to the girls. Writing down something, he tugged on Mira's sleeve.

"Uh, so I take it this happens a lot around here?"

Eyes widening, Mira quickly nodded. "Oh yes, sorry I probably should have warned you! It happens that often that it's actually surprising when something _isn't_ getting destroyed."

Dodging a flying chair, Naruto shook the woodchips out of his collar and glanced back at the writhing mass of activity. "Really now? Looks like fun."

As the girls went back to their chat, Naruto turned to see who was actually amongst the giant human wrecking ball. Not having met all that many people, Naruto couldn't really pick out anyone he recognised, except Erza who was calmly walking through the middle of it as she aimed for the bathrooms, swiftly dealing with any unlucky sod that got too close to her. A sudden spurt of flame from the far side of the rabble made Naruto chuckle as he realised who else was in there. Trust Natsu to be in the middle of that.

Casually dodging a flying cup, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he saw a flash of skin come to the surface. There were girls amongst that too? Laughing, Naruto shook his head. The females in this world were crazy. Unfortunately, that single momentary lack of concentration caused Naruto to catch a bottle to the temple with a great deal of force, knocking him flat to the floor.

Jumping to his feet furiously, Naruto shouted at the group, "OI, WHO THREW THAT?"

Everyone instantly quietened for a moment before bursting out laughing at the massive bump that had formed on Naruto's forehead. Growling angrily, Naruto stomped a foot, forgetting that they couldn't understand him.

"I asked who DID IT?"

The group just laughed harder, one part from how funny he looked, another part from how funny he sounded.

All systems blaring, Naruto picked the guy who was laughing the hardest and tackled him. It didn't matter that he looked to be well over two meters tall, well muscled and with a crazy spiked, white hair-do. He was going down, Uzumaki style. As soon as that happened though, everyone jumped in on the two and the tussle began anew.

Mirajane and Lucy had watched Naruto's reaction and both were laughing quite hard from the end result. Wiping a tear away, Lucy looked up at her friend. "Naruto really fits in well here. I just hope he joins the guild!"

Biting her lip to halt the giggles, Mirajane nodded. "He would make a fine addition to the family. I hope so too."

XxXxXxX

_A/N – damn... thanks so very much to everyone who has reviewed. This has easily become my most active story in the space of four days. It blew me off my feet when I woke up the morning after the update to something like 100+ messages._

_So again, this quick update goes out to all you people who reviewed, especially those who took the time to sit down and write something meaningful. It's you guys that give me motivation to write! _

_Enjoy._

_Edit - Thanks to those people who pointed out a couple of blunders I made. You know who you are._

_Lanky Nathan_


	4. Chapter 4

**Day five. No, you're not reading things, I actually remembered to write in this thing three days in a row! Nothing too interesting has happened. Still no progress on the summons either. Also, fought with some dude who could fly a couple of weeks back. I really need to learn me that. Think of all the ramen I could steal. Or public baths... **

**Damn you Ero-Sennin, get out of my mind!**

**Day five, out.**

**XxXxXxX**

Naruto now sat in front of a large collection of curiously dressed individuals, all of them peering at him like he was the latest circus freak that had just come to town. He looked around nervously as they all chatted away, totally unable to understand a thing they said. Mirajane seemed to be happy to speak on Naruto's behalf though, and was answering their questions as best she could. A shout off to the side caught Naruto's attention and he looked over, thankful for the distraction from the crowd of eyes.

Natsu for some reason was going toe to toe with what appeared to be another member of the guild. He had dark shaggy hair, eyes that slanted down at the ends and a fairly well toned body. The reason Naruto could tell that last fact was because he was staring into Natsu's eyes angrily, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. His other clothes had somehow managed to end up strewn all across the basement, his shirt over near the kegs of booze, his pants at the other end of the room near the bathrooms, shoes dangling from the rafters above.

Turning to face them fully, Naruto smiled as he readied to watch the fight. What he wasn't expecting however, was for Natsu's opponent to begin to pull his boxers off, seeming like he didn't even realise what he was doing. Seeing way too much butt cleavage for his liking, Naruto quickly spun back to the mass of eyes. Atleast they weren't naked.

Trying to mentally scrub away what he had just seen, Naruto looked up as the massive man he first tackled stepped forward, an enormous paw of a hand extended. He had a respectful look on his face as he patted his chest.

"Elfman."

Standing and taking his hand, Naruto managed to get a better look at him. Standing up close to this guy really drove in just how tall he was. While Naruto wasn't the smallest person, his height of one hundred and sixty-six centimetres had him only just coming up to the chest of the two meter plus giant, his spiky white hair only adding to his impressive height. He was decked out in a large full sleeve shirt with a high popped collar in a deep blue. He also had a matching set of long pants, finished off with a set of simple sandals. He had a hard face, with a scar running down from his left eye to disappear under his chin.

For some reason though, Naruto could get the feeling that this guy saw him as a worthy equal after he tackled him. Smiling up at the newly dubbed Elfman, Naruto nodded his greeting.

"Naruto."

The blond then heard a bit of a commotion behind the massive man and looked around him to find most of the men and women of the guild jostling for a place in the line up behind Elfman, seemingly all wanting to shake his hand. A bewildered look crossed his face as fights along the line began to start. Was he really that important?

Levy then jumped in to rescue Naruto, holding her arms wide and shouting at the group. A few of them seemed to object but were ignored as Levy ran back at Naruto and took an arm, scooping him up and dragging him away. Naruto just let himself be hauled along; at a complete loss to everything that was going on.

It took a minute or two, but eventually Naruto and Levy found a quiet (or as quiet as it could get) corner of the guild away from the prying eyes of the curious members. Naruto still had that owlish look of loss on his face as he numbly watched Levy reach into a bag she had with her and begin to pull out sheets of paper. Sensing her companion's discomfort, the girl looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile. She dug about in her bag and pulled out a piece of paper and started writing on it. Finishing up, she spun it around.

"Oh, sorry about that. They tend it get a bit rowdy when someone new comes down, especially when that someone tackles Elfman."

Nodding slightly, Naruto reached out for the pen. "So... that's just normal? Does that mean that line up was normal too or am I for some reason super important?"

Levy shook her head. "No, after you shouted at them, they all just wanted to hear you speak again. You're more of a novelty to them now."

"Ah..."

Sweat dropping, Naruto didn't quite know how to feel about that. On one hand, he was relieved that it wasn't some ridiculous traditional greeting he'd never heard of, but on the other... he's now just a play thing? Sighing dejectedly, Naruto let his head drop to the bench top in a thump. Levy patted his head and said something, probably along the lines of, "It's ok, don't let it get to you."

The girl got back to work, quickly lining up pages and arranging them in some format known only to her. Smiling as she finished, she tapped Naruto's head and pushed the paper forward.

"Alright! Now that I have your written language mostly worked out, I want to try learn to speak it. This may take a little while, but it will benefit us both."

Lifting his head, Naruto browsed through the note before scribbling something back down. "Yeah, you have the important symbols worked out so that's alright. I guess I best learn it too then. Do you have any way of writing down your words above mine so I can learn to read them?"

Nodding happily at Naruto's forethought, Levy started shuffling through her bag and came up with some blank pages.

"I can copy the notes onto this if you'd like. I'm sure you'll pick it up quickly if you study nightly."

Placing it over the translator page, she then focused and a small, bright yellow ring shot out from her hands, apparently copying everything onto it. Again, Naruto flinched as the circle stretched out. It didn't matter if he'd seen it a few times already, it still creeped him out. Once it was done, Levy handed him the page, now covered with both languages, Naruto's original word on top and the translation below.

Browsing through it, he nodded. Grabbing the pen, Naruto scratched another question down. "Can you make a few more copies? Like say, fifty or so?"

Levy's eyebrows raised, but she nodded and in a few seconds had fifty copies at her disposal. "Here you go. I don't understand though..."

It was Naruto's turn to send her a knowing smirk accompanied by a mischievous wink. "Just follow me to the door quickly."

Standing, they ran to the front of the guild and stopped a short way away from the doors. Grinning again, Naruto crossed his fingers and spoke. "**Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone).**"

In a scream of total surprise, Levy fell backwards onto the ground, eyes near popping from her head as suddenly fifty Naruto's filled the area, all of them wearing the same annoying grin. They then ran forward as a group, grabbed a piece of paper and then disappeared into the rain, some running the streets, others jumping the roofs.

Naruto started laughing as Levy just sat there, eyes unblinking and mouth gaping like a fish. Looking around, he noticed the few other people present were staring at him in total disbelief. Shrugging, he walked over to her, picked up the shell shocked girl and carried her back to their seats. Everyone was going to work out his abilities at some stage. No use keeping them hidden forever. He dropped her back onto her spot and sat down, resting his chin of the back of his interlocked fingers after writing something down. He began mentally counting down to the imminent explosion as he saw the lights start to flicker in Levy's eyes.

"Four, three, two, one."

Naruto then closed his eyes as Levy screamed a question at him, his hair blowing back from the force. The moment passed and Naruto then simply pushed forward a pre written answer to the shouted question.

"That was a skill of mine, shadow clone. It allows me to create solid replicas of myself that have a full independence of their own. They all just went to find a nice quiet spot to study what you gave them. Once I dispel them, I'll gain all the information they studied and be fifty steps closer to knowing the language. Understand?"

Blinking several times, Levy tried to speak but found that her voice had deserted her. She looked around for a bit longer before just shaking her head in disbelief and awkwardly begin to shuffle through her papers with no real direction. Chuckling to himself, Naruto wrote another note before standing and walking off.

"You gather your thoughts. I'll get us a drink."

XxXxXxX

Several cups of water later, Levy felt stable enough to continue with the lesson. Her hands hadn't stopped shaking yet though, much to her displeasure. Sighing, she took the pen and paper and focused, managing to keep her handwriting legible.

"Right, what we've got to start off with is the basic things. What I wrote down for you... on those sheets of paper would be a good place to start. Teach me how to say the words, then later we'll work on the grammatical structure of the sentences."

Seeing Naruto nod conceding, Levy smiled and pulled out yet another sheet of paper from within her bag, quickly copying the information onto it. Supposing she should start with their home, she pointed at 'guild'.

Naruto nodded and spoke the word. Listening intently, Levy jotted down the word, spelling it as best she could in her own language so she could revise later. Motioning for Naruto to say it again, she then watched his mouth so she could visualise the way he enunciated it. Beside the word, she then quickly scratched down a rough diagram of how Naruto's mouth was positioned. Nodding, she then tried it out.

Her attempt drew a chuckle from Naruto as she stumbled over the word. Pouting, Levy looked down and tried again. It wasn't that the language wasn't interesting in its construction; it's just that it was a bit harsher than Earthlands. The vocals and sharp muscle movements made it hard to correctly form the words. Trying it out a third time, she heard an approving noise and then Naruto repeating the word. Smiling happily, Levy nodded and moved onto the next one.

'Twas going to be a long day.

XxXxXxX

Stretching, Levy grinned down at the progress. The two of them had sat working on the language for a good eight hours, despite Naruto's protests thirty minutes in. That whole time, it had been raining heavily outside too and was only now beginning to show signs of finishing. Looking up at Naruto, she rolled her eyes as she saw the boy with a cheek resting in his hand, looking like he had never been so bored in his life. Grinning, she decided to try out what she had learnt. Flicking through the pages, she found a few words and concentrated as she spoke.

"Came on... it... no... bad."

Looking up lazily, Naruto smirked at the attempt. He had to give it to the girl, she was damn persistent. Dropping his hand, he corrected the mistakes as he stood up. The teen nodded happily, correcting herself and then gathering her papers. Looking up again, she noticed that Naruto had left a note and was currently walking towards the basement.

"So happy that's over. I'm gona find something to eat."

Laughing to herself, Levy pulled the rest of her material together and stuffed it into her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she twisted her head from side to side before following Naruto. She heard a voice call her name and waved at the person; an occasional fan that stopped past the guild to say hi to everyone. Walking down the stairs, she opened the door and saw Naruto sitting at a table, glaring intently at a menu in front of him. Mirajane was also standing beside him, eyes wide as she wrote down his orders, not quite able to believe that Naruto was actually able to understand some of what was before him. Seeing Levy, Mira held a hand out to call the girl over as she finished up. Falling into step with the beautiful lady, Levy smiled up at her knowingly.

"So what exactly did you and Naruto get up to up there? Barely a day's gone by and he's already grasped the basics of reading!"

Levy looked up in wonder as she replied. "Well, it appears that Naruto over there is a lot more talented than we already knew. While we were studying, he asks for a thesaurus of a sort, about fifty copies. Basic words of ours with his translation beneath it. This is where it gets interesting. He ran to the front of the guild, said _something_, and POOF, he created fifty identical replicas of himself!"

Mira gasped softly in surprise at the explanation and glanced over at the blond enigma, who still looked very smug at being able to read small amounts.

"Each then grabbed a copy of the thesaurus and disappeared out the door to go read over it for the day. From what I could understand, once they finished memorising the information, they... popped... and the gathered information returned to Naruto. If that's the case then, and assuming each copy studied the full eight hours we were, that means Naruto just did the equivalent of four hundred hours of studying in just one day!"

"Wow..."

Mira turned and looked reverently at the boy who had decided to start picking his nose as he waited. Finding something sizeable, he pulled it out and flicked it across the room. Nodding with her, Levy sighed. "Honestly, his capacity to learn far out strips me. Should he put his mind to it, he could very well learn any single thing he wanted to within the space of a month. Sooner even, if it wasn't that difficult. And that's just with fifty of the things. Who knows, he might even be able to create a hundred!"

Reaching the bar, Mirajane walked behind it as she began to prepare the meals, still bewildered by Naruto's hidden ability. Dropping to a seat, Levy rested her head on her arms and sighed. Hearing the scraping of a cup, she sent Mirajane a thankful smile before sipping the water placed before her. A few moments later, the seat beside Levy was pulled out and Lucy dropped into it with a huff.

"Honestly, Natsu and Gray are impossible! They just won't stop fighting, and then they wonder why I get angry at them when I get pulled into it!"

Levy giggled to herself as Lucy shook her head in disgust at the two rivals. Looking over at the two mentioned boys, Levy saw Natsu and Gray scrapping on the floor, Gray's clothes getting thrown everywhere as he unconsciously disrobed mid fight. Shaking her head with a small smile on her face, Levy couldn't help but wonder if Gray would ever learn to keep his clothes on around people. Yeah, it was a habit he picked up from his teacher years ago, but still.

Swirling the water around in her cup, Levy giggled again when she heard Gray cry out in disbelief when he found himself naked again.

"So what did you and Naruto get up to all day today?"

Turning back to Lucy, Levy bit her lip in wonder. "Well, I tried to learn how to speak some of his language, while he learnt how to read a bit of ours. If you want, I can show you the notes?"

Raising a hand hesitantly, Lucy declined pleasantly. "N-no, no need for that just yet Levy." Leaning forward, Lucy then rested on her arms, unaware of the amount of chest that started spilling from her top. "So how long till you will be able to talk to him?"

Taking the cup up in both hands, Levy smiled as she looked down into the liquid. "Well... honestly, I believe Naruto will learn how to speak ours first. He has a remarkable ability to learn things at over thirty times the normal speed. I'd even say that by the end of the week, he'll not only be able to speak our language fluently, but read and write it as well."

Placing a delicate hand to her open mouth, Lucy gasped and looked over at Naruto who was now digging into his meal with great fervour. "Really? He's that smart?"

Laughing, Levy took a sip. "Well, I wouldn't say that... he's nothing like Erza in that regard I don't think, he just has a technique that helps him learn really, _really_ fast. Sort of like the gale-force reading glasses, only better."

Lucy nodded, trying to grasp an idea of what Naruto did. She envisioned him wearing the red, wing rimmed glasses that she had and giggled. She highly doubted he'd wear such a thing, even if the model capable of allowing the reader to read at six hundred times the normal speed had been released.

Hearing a hiccup beside them, the girls looked over to see the Master now sitting beside them, a schooner of beer in one hand. He hiccupped again and looked up at them, a light flush adorning his cheeks.

"How ya doin' my fine girls? Things going swimmingly?"

Backing away slightly from his rancid breath, Lucy did her best not to pinch her nose. "Y-yes, Master! Me and Levy were just talking about Naruto."

"Naruto hey?" Taking another hefty swig from his mug, Makarov let out a sigh that was invaded by a burp. Not noticing, he continued. "That boy... that boy... he's a strange one! Knew it from when I first laid eyes on him. Knew it I did I tell ya."

Leaning in, his voice lowered to a whisper. "I think he might be an alien."

Both Lucy and Levy had to place a hand over their mouths as they struggled to hold in their giggles. Hearing the muffled laughter, Mira came wandering over to their rescue, an amused look on her face. "Master, are you tormenting the girls again?"

Looking up at Mirajane, Makarov snorted indignantly. "How could you say that? I was merely disgu... disges... discussing Naruto and his oddness with them. I haven't even tried to peek on them yet."

Taking another gulp, the little man missed the glares sent at him. Slamming his mug down, he levelled them with an intense gaze. "But still! Naruto wanted to go see his home, where Lucy stole him from."

"Hey!"

"So I hereby authorise – hic – Natsu, Luffy... and whoever else who gives a damn to take him out tomorrow and give him back to his home."

Lucy's eyes thinned in despair as yet another guild member got her name wrong. "It's Lucy..."

Feeling a tug on her sleeve, Lucy looked over as Levy sent her a smile, clapping her hands together. "Oh Lucy, can I come? I still wana learn stuff from Naruto!"

Laughing, Lucy nodded. "Of course! Why did you even ask? You knew you were more than welc – HEY!"

Jumping to her feet, Lucy glared daggers at the seedy old man after he had discreetly reached out and gently patted her bottom several times. He even had the nerve to continue patting the air as he drank, looking like he wasn't even aware of what was going on. Grumbling to herself, Levy watched as Lucy stomped off, complaining about why she was subject to all the unwanted attention of the guild.

XxXxXxX

The next morning, Natsu, Lucy, Naruto and Levy stood at the door entrance, Happy floating about as per usual. Mirajane and Makarov were there to see them off, one nursing a bit of a headache after his bender the previous night. Yawning, Natsu scratched his pink hair irritably and picked something in his teeth with his tongue.

"So why did we have to take Naruto back out there? It's too early!"

The question got him a smack over the back of the head from Lucy, though the blow did nothing to him. "We're taking him out there because _we_ know where he landed! It may be early, but an early morning start for once in your life would do you good."

Grumbling to himself, Natsu fell silent. Turning back to Mira with a beaming smile, Lucy waved at them. "Well, if that's the case, we'll be off then!"

Bowing slightly, Mirajane bid them farewell. As they turned, Naruto paused and tugged at Levy's sleeve. Turning, she saw Naruto motioning for the paper.

"I wana stay here with Mirajane and practice speaking and reading. Just give me a moment."

"Huh?"

Dropping his bag, Naruto crossed his fingers. "**Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)**."

In a scream much similar to Levy's yesterday, Lucy fell backwards in horror as three extra Naruto's appeared around the original. She squeaked through her wide open mouth, pointing at the new group. Running to her side, Levy took her friends hand and patted it. "There, there. This is how Naruto learned things faster, remember how I told you that?"

Seeing Lucy nod hesitantly, Levy smiled encouragingly. "That's a good girl. Now, just try to ignore them and everything will be better. Trust me."

Standing numbly, Lucy nodded again before turning and walking out the guild doors stiffly, Levy leading the way. Natsu however, had finally woken up and was taking a great deal of interest in the new technique. He was running around the three, poking and pulling at the clones in total fascination as Happy circled above, just as interested as his friend.

"Wa-ha! This is so cool! How'd you do this huh? What kind of magic is this?"

The clone currently afflicted with Natsu's affections was holding its hands out, trying it's best to convey it couldn't understand a single thing he was asking. Makarov and Mirajane were also equally surprised at the ability, though not quite so badly since they had been forewarned of it. Grinning at their faces, Naruto held out a note to Mira.

"So I was hoping to leave a clone here with you to learn how to speak your language if that's alright."

Sighing, Mira shook her head apologetically and replied. "I'm sorry Naruto, but I'll be too busy with work today to do anything."

Frowning, Naruto called over one of his clones. "What if you had help then? Could you talk as you worked? That's all I want."

Raising an eyebrow, Mira looked at Naruto uncertainly. "Uh, I suppose... no offence intended though, but it'd be a bit weird having a male serving."

Reading this, Naruto just sent her a wide smile. Signalling to his clone, it grinned and formed the ram seal. "**Henge (Transform)!**"

Instantly coughing and spluttering, Makarov and Mirajane waved the air before them as smoke filled the area. It dissipated quickly and their jaws dropped when they got a good look at the clone. Where the male once stood, now posed an extremely leggy, blond girl with her hair pulled out into twin pig tails, each golden cascade reaching down to her lower thigh. A chest that rivalled Lucy's was barely contained behind a skimpy maid outfit and above that; she had an absolutely breathtaking face, comparable even to Mira's beauty. Three scars adorned each cheek giving her an exotic look and with a wink, sealed her position in the Guild Masters heart.

"HIRED! HIRED! THAT GIRL IS HIRED! MIRA, GET HER A UNIFORM, NOW!"

Not even bothering to calm the excited man, Mira then turned to an impassive Naruto, hands in his pockets, shrugging nonchalantly. She sent him an incredulous look as he just smiled at her.

"What... you know transformation magic _too_?"

Tapping his nose with a grin, Naruto took the offered pen. "My dear Mira-chan, that be called chakra, remember? No magic here."

Slipping back into a seat behind her, Mira raised a hand to her forehead, trying her best to understand just what this boy could do. Seeing another note passed under her nose, she looked up.

"So... can she stay?"

A defeated sigh left her lips as she looked up at the cheeky blond. Smiling, she shook her head and took the paper. "You really have a way with people, don't you Naruto?"

Grinning sheepishly, Naruto just squinted his eyes happily and scratched the back of his head. Shaking her head again, Mirajane stood and looked over to the clone who was currently entertaining Makarov.

"You are a spectacular specimen my girl! Truly, first class material!"

The clone just giggled and placed an index finger to her lip demurely. Makarov blew something when he saw this, his small form being rocked backwards by a powerful nose bleed. Rolling her eyes, Mira chuckled and took the girl's hand. "So what am I going to call you..."

Catching Naruto just before he left, she quickly scribbled him a note. "Do you have a name for her?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, Naruko would work. That sound ok?"

Smiling, Mira nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. Now scoot, all of you, before the Master comes to."

XxXxXxX

The road to Naruto's point of arrival was more of a gentle stroll than anything with the group happily taking their time, basking in the warm light of the mid morning sun. Naruto's creation of the extra clones had become apparent rather quickly when he set each one with a member of the group to learn each ones individual speech quirks. He had Levy give each one a transcript paper, and sent them over.

The clone with Natsu and Happy ended up playing games with the excitable pair, jumping around the trees and rocks, screaming incoherently more often than not and setting fire to random things even more frequently. This resulted in Naruto needing to continually replace clones that were popped due to the harsh treatment. Not much was actually learnt during this, but it was a lot of fun.

The clone with Lucy was treated to the girl's explanation of her magic and abilities, once she stopped being weirded out by the fact she was speaking to a chakra copy of the original. It turned out she was a Celestial Mage, capable of summoning creatures of varying strengths and abilities, assuming she had the key connected to it. She even had a number of rare gold keys which connected with the spirits of the zodiac, which held immensely powerful beings that far outweighed the standard spirit key that could be bought in a store. So far, she had four of a possible twelve.

Levy was lucky in that she got to be paired with the original Naruto. The whole trip, the girl had her books and papers out, struggling to handle them all as she tried to catalogue Naruto's words. Even with the help of her blond companion, the group had to stop every ten to fifteen minutes to pick up papers that spilt from their arms. Despite this, they still made good time, mostly due to the group having to run to catch up to Natsu and Happy who consistently drew ahead.

About an hour or two in, they took a break and Naruto dispelled his clones, closing his eyes as he sifted through the information gathered. It was all rather clumped, some areas of the language being clearer than others, but that was just because of the specialised information each individual spoke on. Hearing Levy and Lucy chatting, Naruto tried his best to join in, disjointedly throwing in comments whenever he thought he understood something. His speech was a great deal better than what it was when they first started walking, but it still wasn't quite right, what with Natsu's habitual cursing occasionally rearing its head in Naruto's speech.

It managed to get a few laughs out of the group though so Naruto was happy, even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted. After a few light refreshments, Naruto created another batch of clones and they continued on.

XxXxXxX

Finally reaching the area, Natsu jumped forward, nose in overdrive. "Yeah, yeah this is the place! It still smells weird. So what ya lookin' for Naruto?"

Happy floated down and came to rest on Natsu's pink hair. "Hey, hey, will you be going to get sucked back into the air? Are there any yummy fish over there too? If there are, bring me back some!"

Having dispelled the second round of clones, Naruto understood the majority of what they wanted. "No... looking for clue. Maybe...teac - learn how I arris... got here by check."

Grinning, Natsu dashed forward. "Great! We'll help ya look!"

"AYE!"

Before they could get too far though, a hand caught Natsu's vest and another Happy's tail. "Wait! You maybe... mess up clue. I go one."

"Eh?"

Lucy walked up to the energetic pair and sighed as she looked at them. "What Naruto means to say is that he'll go first. He must have something he can do that will help him find anything."

Natsu's eyes widened unhappily as he began to argue. "But that's boring! Why can't we help search? I can fly around with Happy, we won't even touch anything! AH, THIS SUCKS!"

Letting the pair go, Naruto stepped past them. "Check up sky... look down ok."

"What?"

Struggling to find the words, Naruto resorted to the piece of paper. "I mean, fly up with Happy and check the area from the sky. You won't be able to damage much from up there."

"Woo! That's what I'm talking about! Come on Happy, TO THE SKY!"

"AYE!"

Dipping in, Happy then grabbed the boy by the back of his vest and lifted them off, quickly disappearing into the trees. Watching them go, Naruto nodded. Taking a deep breath, Naruto then exhaled slowly and became completely still. Both girls shared a look when he did this, not used to his lack of energy.

"Naruto... what are you doing?"

When he didn't respond, they walked around in front of him, just as his eyes flicked open. Gasping, they took several steps back, not able to understand what had just happened.

Everything about the boy was completely normal, except for his eyes. His usual crystal blue irises had undergone a strange transformation, now a strange yellow in colour. His pupils had also changed, elongating out sideways from the usual circle to an odd rounded rectangle shape. Finishing off the odd altercation, Naruto's upper eyelids were now rimmed with a reddish-orange pigmentation, the colouring coming to a shallow point as it reached towards his ears.

Looking at their shocked faces, Naruto let out an awkward laugh and scratched his cheek. "Uh... sorry. I explain in... moment."

Tentatively passing the still gaping girls, Naruto tried smiling disarmingly again before turning and running down the path. Looking over at each other, the girls looked at each other before shaking their head.

"Wh... what was up with those _eyes_?"

Levy shook her head, understanding just as much as Lucy. "I don't know... every time I think I learn a little more about him, he goes and does something else like that. I wonder what else he's hiding..."

Swallowing, Lucy nodded. "Y – yeah. I just hope he really is a good guy, and not just hiding it."

Beginning to walk, Levy shook her head. "No, he's definitely good. You can't hide evil intentions completely unless you had total memory loss, and even then you can tell sometimes. From Naruto though, I sense nothing but good from him."

Holding a hand to her chest, Lucy worried her lip, but nodded all the same. "I just hope he tells us a bit more about himself sooner rather than later."

Humming softly in agreement, Levy fell silent as the pair followed the mysterious blond.

XxXxXxX

Following the sensation of chakra, Naruto dashed over a hill before skidding to a stop, eyes darting around. Where ever he landed was somewhere close around here. There was a definite chakra signal nearby that wasn't native to the strange aura of the area. Closing his eyes, he focused. Reaching out with his enhanced senses, Naruto silently thanked his late teacher for forcing him to complete Sage training. Without it, Naruto was one of the worst sensor ninja in Konoha.

Following the fading blue tinge in the air, Naruto walked right up to the spot where he was dropped. Reaching out tentatively, Naruto let his hand swirl around the remaining chakra. Nodding, Naruto easily confirmed it was indeed Kakashi's energy. So he had accidentally sent him here, probably during that explosion. Waving his hand through the air gently, Naruto cocked his head thoughtfully.

Chakra signals were usually left when a ninja used a technique. The spike would then fade and follow the ninja as he or she moved, leaving a trail. The difference here though was that Kakashi's trail was focused on a spot right in the centre of the chakra mass. Licking his teeth as he thought, Naruto brought a hand to his chin. Did that mean then that the chakra was following itself back to Kakashi? If so, would that mean it was possible to track the chakra and open up the wormhole again?

Raising his eyebrows at the possibility, Naruto began to channel some chakra into his hand. A quick thought entered his mind though and he shut off the stream instantly. What if it needed Kakashi's chakra to reopen the gateway? There clearly wasn't enough here to do that, but he wouldn't want to go and contaminate what was left. Frowning, Naruto pulled out a scroll. He didn't know if sealing chakra was possible, but it was definitely there, even if it was invisible to the naked eye. Waving the seal through the mass of blue, Naruto channelled energy into the seal and crossed his fingers in hope.

A poof went off and Naruto grinned. Success. A chunk of the blue had been absorbed into the paper upon sealing. Quickly labelling and storing the scroll, Naruto then reached back out into the blue mass. Again channelling some chakra, Naruto felt for the point of infinity in the middle of the shrunken blue mass and tried to coax it open. Frowning in concentration, Naruto played with the tip, desperately trying to push even the smallest of holes into the nonexistent point.

After a little while, Naruto sighed and gave up. He could feel something there, but it was impossible to push open. Feeling Lucy and Levy watching him from the top of the hill, Naruto sighed and opened his eyes. It didn't seem like there was much else here, all other possible physical evidence having been washed away in the rain yesterday. Looking over his shoulder, Naruto called out to them.

"Be no... scared, k?"

Blinking several times, Levy and Lucy just raised their eyebrows and nodded. Guessing that'd have to do for the moment, Naruto turned back. With Kakashi's chakra slowly dispersing, the only way to find this exact spot again would be to leave another, longer lasting chakra spike. And to do that, what better way could it be than a ball of pure chakra? Frowning in concentration, Naruto held his hand out as the air above it began to swirl about.

The rapid rotation began to distort the air as energy began to form above his palm, condensing in on itself until it took the shape of a tight blue ball. Focusing on that, Naruto then began to grow it until it was the size of an average human head. The power the thing generated was enough to whip the surroundings winds up into a strong breeze, causing the trees and Naruto's clothes to begin to flap around.

Halting the balls growth, Naruto then relaxed and let it destabilise. It wobbled around a bit, quickly turning into an egg before the chakra lost form and went up in a noisy bang. Nodding to himself, Naruto dropped his hand. That spike would be good to last for atleast a week or two easily.

Sighing, Naruto relaxed and the odd pigmentation around his eyes faded as his irises returned to normal. A sudden out pouring of sweat then coated him as the transformation ended, strangely exhausting the boy. It passed in a moment though and Naruto turned, wiping away the beads on his face.

Smiling up at the girls, he beckoned for them to come down. Looking around cautiously, they took a hesitant step forward before Naruto started laughing at them. Huffing, they pouted and stomped down. Reaching him, the teen sat down and motioned for them to join him. Doing so, they then turned to their bags and pulled out a few snacks, sharing the treats around. Looking to the sky, Lucy then cupped her mouth and called out.

"NATSU! HAPPY! FOOD!"

Barely a heartbeat later, the two appeared over the trees, crowing happily at the development. Happy got a little too excited however and dropped Natsu from a fairly decent height onto the ground. Though the group heard him impact and saw the puff of dust, it didn't seem to faze the boy as he sprinted over and dropped down next to Lucy, grinning from ear to ear. Happy then landed on Natsu's shoulder, eyes twinkling as he sucked up a stray strand of drool. Lucy just rolled her eyes and threw Natsu a snack bar and Happy a small fish. Now having dealt with those two, Lucy turned her attention back to Naruto.

"So, is it ok if we ask you a few questions?"

Wiping his mouth, Naruto put down his water flask and nodded.

"Alright... well then, what was that weird transformation from before?"

Seeing Naruto not quite understand, Lucy dragged her fingers around her eyes, simulating the colour changes. Nodding, Naruto held his hand out for the pen and paper.

"This is too hard to explain with speech. That was a little ability called **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)**. It has a couple of uses, but the one I used it for then was to sense where the exact point I fell from was. Normally I suck at trying to pinpoint energies, but that allows me much finer sensory abilities."

Lucy raised her eyebrows at the response, but merely accepted it as another oddity the boy had. "Why did you do that?"

Again, Naruto took up the pen. "Well, if I knew where I fell from, there may have been a chance that I could have forced it open and got back home. It didn't work."

Naruto sitting there was proof enough of that. Levy then leaned forward, looking at Naruto with glowing eyes. "So what was that blue ball you had? It was beautiful."

She mimed holding a ball, just so Naruto fully understood. For the third time, Naruto took up the pen and paper. "I can't wait to learn to speak fluently; this writing business is driving me barmy. That was a technique called **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)**, one that my dad created. It's a strong attacking style technique, but I just used it to leave a chakra signal here so I can follow it back here later."

Not quite fully understanding how that was possible, Levy frowned in concentration. She went to speak but was cut off as a loud roar in the distance made everyone look up. It rapidly drew closer, throwing everyone on edge as screeching noises began to accompany the initial roar. When Erza driving some strange wagon like thing popped over the hill though, everyone relaxed except for Naruto, who was still wondering just what the hell that contraption was.

It looked like a standard, four wheeled horse drawn carriage, though the shell of it was made from metal instead of wood. The difference however was that at the front of the wagon, there was a single person seat screwed down onto a flat platform, which was currently occupied by Erza. She was holding a joystick that seemed to control the steering of it, and from her right arm, had what looked like a tourniquet wrapped around it with a tube that lead from the arm band, into the brace surrounding the seat.

Skidding to a stop in front of the group, Erza looked down at them sternly. "There has been an emergency. I need you all to come with me right now."

A hushed intake of breath sounded through the group as Naruto just stood there looking confused. Stepping forward, Lucy looked up at the Mage. "So what happened?"

Looking off into the distance, Erza sighed. "It seems that an old magic has fallen into the wrong hands. The dark guild Eisenwald has somehow found the black Mage Zeref's evil magic Lullaby and is planning to attack the upcoming Guild Masters meeting with it. Master obviously knows this, but is going never the less to warn the others. He has explicitly asked me to gather the best team I can and try cut off Eisenwald before they can make it to the meeting. You are the group I chose. Now get on."

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, the two girls nodded once and ran to the doors either side of the wagon and slipped inside. Natsu and Naruto however remained standing outside, looking at the thing.

"NATSU! GET IN!"

Cringing at the barking order, Natsu looked up at Erza pathetically as his cheeks began to take on a green tinge. "B-b-but I HATE transport! Can't Happy just carry me?"

The cat had already flown into the car and looked out the window at Natsu. "Natsu, you know I can't fly as fast as Erza drives. She's a lunatic when she gets driving."

A shaggy head Naruto recognised then poked itself from the window and smirked at Natsu's obvious discomfort. "What's wrong ash breath? Can't take a little rocking?"

He then began to sway the wagon from side to side, laughing as Natsu grew ever greener.

"B-b-bu..."

Frowning, Erza unstrapped her arm and jumped off the seat. Grabbing the woozy boy by the scruff of his neck, she walked him over and then threw him in through the window. A slimy groan then floated out the window as the carriage rocked with the force. Turning to look at Naruto, she sighed. He wasn't a part of her initial plan, but she couldn't leave him behind.

"Brilliant."

Walking up to him, she pointed at the wagon and began trying to drag him towards it. His eyes widened as she tried to pull him along, but Erza quickly found him very firmly attached to his spot. Frowning, she put more effort into the tug but still Naruto didn't move. She was about to grab him with both hands when Levy leaned out the window and called out.

"Naruto! It's ok! Just get in, I'll explain everything along the way."

Looking over at the girl, Naruto swallowed. "Safe?"

Levy nodded, smiling encouragingly. "Safe!"

Nodding hesitantly, Naruto walked over to the wagon and got in, leaving Erza standing back with a slightly confused look on her face. 'Why couldn't I move him? It was like he weighed over a ton! And how does he already know bits of our language?'

Shaking clear the thoughts, Erza focused. She could ask those questions later. For now, the focus was on finding Eisenwald and stopping Lullaby.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – I've had a few people ask where the story is set in the timeline and why Erza is there even though it's set before the Phantom Arc. Naruto slept for close to 2 days so missed Erza returning, as well as Lucy gaining her third Zodiac key. Also, due to Naruto's arrival and my omniscient awesomeness as the author of this fic, I took a little creative licence and have postponed the Lullaby arc until now. I could have said it earlier but hey, life is full of surprises and following cannon to the word is boring. _

_Again, big thanks to everyone who reviewed too. The ONLY reason this thing is getting updated as frequently as it is, is because of you guys. Give yourselves a pat on the back._

_Don't forget to let me know if I missed an error too._

_Lanky Nathan_


	5. Chapter 5

**Day something. Training hurts. Need more sleep.**

**Day something, out.**

XxXxXxX

Naruto held on for dear life as the unstable vehicle bounced along the rugged road. More than once the boy checked out the window to see if they even _were_ on the road. Levy sat beside him, trying her best to calm him and take his mind off things by harassing him for new words to study. Natsu hung halfway out the window, continually vomiting inhuman amounts onto the speeding ground despite having emptied his stomach of all its contents long ago. Lucy sat beside Natsu, half rubbing his back soothingly, half holding onto him so he didn't topple out the window as Erza hit another rock. His little blue companion had even actually managed to fall asleep on the cushion between the dark haired boy and Lucy. The previously mentioned teen Naruto had recognised from before had also introduced himself lazily as Gray. Getting the troublesome preamble over with, he now sat with his head resting on his fist, looking out the window like he was sitting on a motionless bench. He didn't even flinch as he repeatedly punched himself in the face as the carriage bounced about. To Naruto it just looked like he was trying to uphold a 'cool' look or something.

Feeling the hell-damned contraption lurch again horribly, Naruto sank his fingers into the cushion under him, not realising he was punching holes into the fabric with his fingertips. Levy did however, and jumped straight into an explanation of the wagon, trying to alleviate his fear.

"W-what we're currently riding in is a magically powered four wheeler. There are a couple of different types about but this one is – ", she paused as the cart momentarily grew airborne as Erza drove the thing over a sharp hill, "is one of the safer models."

Naruto sucked in a terrified breath and sent her a wide eyed, incredulous look as he felt the thing rise up onto two wheels. She knew he couldn't understand much of what she was saying but pressed on anyway. Hopefully her talking would be enough to calm him. "The only reason we're driving like this is because the engine is powered by the driver's magical power. The faster you go, the more magical power is used. And with Erza having one of the highest levels of magical power in the guild, she can afford to drive like this."

Looking out the window, even Naruto's iron stomach gave a heave as the cabin bucked again, the outside world flipping around like it was being shaken around by a pair of gigantic hands.

'I gotta get outa here!'

Levy watched cautiously as Naruto reached out and grabbed the window. She then screamed in horror as Naruto quickly pulled himself out it, disappearing from sight.

"What the hell is that moron doing?"

Pushed aside, Levy saw Gray lean out the window trying to see what happened to the boy. Looking around, he failed to find a trace of Naruto until a finger tapped the top of his head. Looking up, Gray's eyes widened as a relieved Naruto looked down at him.

"What are you doing up there? Get your ass back inside now!"

Naruto shook his head and pointed at the roof. "No, safe here!"

Just then Levy squeezed out the window with Gray and held a hand out worriedly. "Naruto! Take my hand and climb back in! Slowly now!"

Laughing, Naruto shook his head again. "It ok! Watch!"

Before they could say anything, Naruto stood up, arms wide as he caught the wind with his body, laughing loudly the whole time. The thing that shocked Gray and Levy the most though was that despite the incredibly harsh driving, Naruto stuck to the roof like a magnet, his feet not budging from their spots. Slowly pulling her hand back in, Levy blinked a few times before calling out again.

"S – so you'll be ok?"

Looking down, Naruto smiled reassuringly. "Yes! Ok!"

Sharing a look with Gray, the boy just shrugged and pulled his head back inside. Waiting a while longer, Levy looked up at a beaming Naruto with a mixture of concern and awe in her eyes. She then pulled herself back inside, only to come face to face with Gray, an eyebrow raised.

"So, you obviously know a bit more about him than I do. Care to explain?"

Holding a hand to her chest, Levy looked out the window. "I don't really know what to say... everything I do know about him is minimal at best. Every time I discover something new though, it just raises more questions about him."

Unimpressed, Gray crossed his arms. "Well can you atleast tell me about a few of his abilities? I heard one skill is the ability to create solid clones. The new girl at the bar back at the guild is meant to be one of his, but that shouldn't be possible."

Levy's eyes widened as she brought her eyes up to meet his. "Really? There's a new girl?"

Gray nodded. "Yeah, looks a little like Naruto, same whiskers, blond hair and eyes, but the only problem is that she's a _girl_. Mira said that Naruto created her though so..."

Shaking her head, Levy let out a humourless chuckle. "I didn't see that happen, but I wouldn't put it past him. So far, I've seen him stick to the roof of a room like he was kneeling on the floor, create fifty clones in an instant; learn the basics of our writing in a day and basics of our language in about the same time, maybe a little longer. I've seen him change the colour of his eyes to yellow to help him sense energies better and create a shining blue ball of light in his hand, letting it pop and then explaining that it's so he can track his way back to it via the yellow eyes I said. And honestly, I believe there are possibly hundreds of other things he has still yet to show us."

Falling silent, Levy looked around before taking a fresh breath. "I don't sense anything bad from him but... I find it hard to trust a guy with that many secrets, you know? We all have our own skeletons in the closet, but Naruto seems to have whole rooms filled with them."

Nodding understandingly, Gray looked at the roof. "No one expects you to trust him straight from the get go. It would be foolish to anyway. Despite the outward appearances, even Master Makarov is cautious of him, he's just very good at hiding those kind of emotions."

Nodding unhappily, the blue haired girl rubbed her arm. "I know, but I can't help but feel like we're betraying Naruto's trust in us because we don't trust him."

Having listened to the conversation, Lucy smiled and gently kicked Levy's shin. "Hey, don't let it get to you alright? I'm sure when he's ready, Naruto will tell us everything. Just give it time."

Letting a small smile light her lips, Levy nodded. "I guess you're right. I'm just being impatient."

XxXxXxX

Laughing as the wind buffeted his body around, Naruto had to admit that once outside the evil box of doom, the ride was A LOT more fun. It was totally worth catching a few bugs in his mouth for. Seeing Erza line up a hole, Naruto chuckled as the woman pumped more power into the wheels and sped up, hitting the edge with enough velocity to carry them through the air and land them safely on the other side of the five foot wide dip. Steadying himself, Naruto had to admit that although she was a maniac, she knew how to drive this thing damn well.

Wanting to see exactly how it worked, Naruto walked forward and sat down behind Erza. He found out that wasn't all that smart as Erza's long red hair whipped around in the air like a pit of angry vipers, snapping into his skin and eyes as he tried to see what she was doing. Wriggling to the side, he watched intently as Erza fought with the stick in front of her, muscling it around as the wheels tried to break free of her control.

After feeling firsthand the incredible grip she had, Naruto wondered if there was anyone else alive that could drive so close to the limit. Dropping down beside her, Erza let out a startled scream as he landed, causing the car to veer off course harshly. Naruto flapped his arms around wildly as Erza fought to get control back. The screams of fear from the cabin behind them weren't really helping the situation either. After a terrifying few moments, Erza pulled the wheels straight before sending Naruto an absolutely livid glare.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE?"

Realising he was in trouble, Naruto backed up slightly, holding his hand out. "I – it ok! Sorry!"

Releasing a hand, Erza pointed at the carriage behind her. "INSIDE, NOW!"

Sweating, Naruto nodded affirmably, slowly backing away until he was within reach to climb back into the window. Moving out of the fiery redhead's sight, Naruto waved at the wide eyed looks he was getting through the window before climbing back onto the roof. Screw going back in there. He'd rather face his death head on.

Just as he was about to sit down, Naruto whipped his head around to look off to the left. While he wasn't all that great at sensing things, he could definitely feel something wrong off in that direction. It wasn't all that strong though so pinpointing it was impossible. As they rounded a bend, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw a long, snake like creation speeding along a set of tracks.

It had long, segmented body parts, connected by a coupling bolt and a few chains. The front of it looked like it was doing all the pulling though as smoke belched forth from a chimney near the nose of the thing. Squinting, Naruto could swear he could make out people sitting in the compartments behind the main engine part. Raising his eyebrows, Naruto guessed it must have been another type of magical contraption like the one he was currently sitting on.

As they neared it though, Naruto could feel the wrongness increasing. Whatever it was, it was on that long snake. Leaning over the edge, Naruto looked in. Seeing Lucy being the closest, he reached out and tapped her shoulder. She screamed and jumped, holding a hand to her chest as she panted in fright. Ignoring her stress, Naruto pointed over at the track borne thing.

"Over there! Something wrong!"

"Huh?"

Looking out the window, Lucy calmed her breathing and looked at what Naruto was pointing at. "Yes, that's a train Naruto."

Pausing, Naruto considered the new word. A train hey? Interesting. Shaking his head, he got back to what he originally was on about. "Inside train! Not right... something."

Seeing her frown, Naruto growled and held his hand out for the pen and paper. Grabbing it off Levy, Lucy handed it to him and Naruto leant in through the window, writing on the underside of the roof. "No, I meant something inside the train feels wrong. Can't you sense it?"

Reading it, Lucy handed it to the other two as she looked up, now curious as to what was going on. "No, I can't feel anything. Can either of you?"

Turning to Gray and Levy, she saw them shake their heads. Turning back, Lucy frowned. "Are you just imagining it?"

Rolling the words over in his mind, Naruto started shaking his head as he worked out the question. "No... no imagine. I go check. Back soon."

"Wait, what?"

To the immense shock and horror of all people in the cart, Naruto flipped his legs over and held himself at a solid horizontal line from the roof, before flipping off.

"NARUTO!"

All able bodied people rushed to the window, jostling for position as they tried to see what happened to the blond. Lucy ended up pushed to the back and was now scratching at Gray and Levy's backs, trying to get past. When they relaxed, she paused before assuming the worst.

"Oi! Let me through! Let me see!"

They weakly gave way, pure disbelief on their faces as they continued looking out the window.

"What, what is it, what... oh, my..."

Beside the speeding wagon, Naruto was running, his legs nothing more than an orange blur as he easily kept up with them. His arms were stretched back in a streamline angle, head bent forward as he squinted into the wind. Turning to face them, he grinned before giving them thumbs up and veering off to the side and shooting off towards the train. The gobsmacked group watched as he rapidly caught up to the train, grabbing a hold of one of the railings and pulled himself up with ease before disappearing into one of the carriages. They watched the now empty landscape for a few more seconds before falling back into their seats, eyes wide but not really looking at anything.

Levy was the first to break the silence, blinking slowly as she turned her gaze to the other two. "So... I didn't imagine that?"

Swallowing, Gray ran a shaky hand through his hair. "If you did, then we're all going mad."

Lucy slipped down her chair as they spoke. "Uh – ha... he said he'd be back soon too, right?"

Nodding, Levy looked over at the train again. "He really is a mysterious person."

Gray sighed and looked out the other window. "Too right he is. Oh and Lucy, you might want to grab Natsu before he falls out the window."

Looking over, the blond screeched and dived at Natsu, just managing to catch his pants and pull him back in. "WHY DIDN'T YOU GRAB HIM?"

Gray just shrugged, happy that things were mostly normal again. "Why should I babysit him? Besides, you looked like you were having so much fun that I thought I'd leave you to it.

XxXxXxX

Looking around the area, Naruto ignored the surprised looks as he slipped through the door. The roof was of a fair height, though someone Elfman's size would have to duck. Windows covered both walls, with seats just beneath them, facing each other so travellers could talk with each other. There was also a small path down the middle of the carriage to get to the seats. Curious really.

Shaking his head Naruto started walking. He wasn't here to gaze at details. That weird feeling was much stronger in here and Naruto had to find it. The only thing was that it was a very general feeling despite being stronger. It was like it was being suppressed so pinpointing it was going to prove a challenge.

Walking down between the seats, Naruto's eyes flicked from side to side, trying to work out where the sensation was coming from. It was similar to something he was quite familiar with, but it just didn't seem plausible. He had only felt it a handful of other times in his life, and that was only when around someone like Gaara. It felt like a Jinchuuriki was nearby.

Seeing nothing interesting, Naruto opened the door and stepped through to the next carriage. Browsing over the people, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw a spiky hair style, very much like one of his hometown friends.

"Shikamaru?"

The man looked up at him, seeming to calculate Naruto potential as a threat and then went back to looking out the window. Holding his jacket, Naruto let out a breath. The similarities between the two were astounding, but it was just a surprise. Naruto continued to look around, slowly stepping past the seats. Just as he passed the Shikamaru lookalike, Naruto saw him glance at Naruto out of the corner of his eye. Pausing, Naruto continued on into the next carriage.

Sitting down in a seat towards the back, Naruto looked at the wall behind him. The glance mightn't have meant much to the average person, but Naruto was a ninja so anything like that was a warning beacon. Someone seemingly distracted with the window wouldn't have any reason to glance at him twice. And if he really was surprised by his outfit, he would have kept discreetly checking him out, like the rest of the passengers. No, something was off about him.

Looking around and finding this carriage empty, Naruto created a clone. Nodding at it, it opened the window and climbed onto the roof before running back down the train. Let the clone relay the message while Naruto waited. Settling down, Naruto got comfortable for the ride.

XxXxXxX

The clone jumped off the end of the train, legs out in preparation for the hard impact. Landing, his shoes skidded a bit before his legs blurred into motion. Taking one last look at the train, Naruto looked off into the distance. Seeing a slowly disappearing cloud of dust in the distance, Naruto charged off.

XxXxXxX

"So how much longer will Naruto be?"

"Happy, we already told you several times, we don't know!"

The blue cat had awoken from his nap and had begun to repeatedly ask the whereabouts of the blond, quickly irritating everyone in the confined area. Taking him up in her lap, Lucy started stroking his fur in an attempt to keep him quiet. Thankfully it worked, the cat closing his eyes in bliss and leaning back into Lucy's firm stomach.

"Hey, that might be him!"

"WHERE?"

"Damnit Gray I just got him quiet!"

Leaning out the window, Gray covered his eyes from the sun and squinted at the dust cloud that was approaching from behind. It took a moment but Naruto came into focus as he caught up. Jumping, he landed on the roof and slid in through the window.

"Wha – "

Butting in, Naruto flicked a few times for the paper and quickly started writing. He adjusted to the blue cat as it flew into his lap, sitting down in the road of everything, peering at what he was writing. "When I got onto the train I saw someone suspicious. Also, I can definitely sense something that shouldn't be there. I'm guessing that guy is connected with them. Tell Erza to follow the train, because that might be the Lullaby you're searching for."

Reading the note, Lucy frowned. "Why haven't you told Erza then?"

Seeing Naruto shiver, Lucy instantly understood he must have had an altercation with her. "Scared."

Levy had a think for a moment before looking out the window and saw the town Onibus rapidly approaching. Leaning back in, she nodded to herself. Looking up, she drew their attention. "Alright, I have a plan. The train docks at the upcoming town before departing after a thirty minute wait, so if we can beat it there, which we probably will, we'll be able to head off this suspicious guy. And while there, Naruto, you can tell Erza about what you felt and not get in trouble!"

Nodding, Naruto smiled. "Ok, I lead you to me!"

Pausing, the group gave him an odd look. "Uh, sorry?"

Patting itself on the chest, Naruto smiled wider. "I clone."

Everyone's eyes widened at the admission as Lucy began to hyperventilate again. Gray looked at Naruto suspiciously before turning back to the window, not fully convinced. He had to see this with his own eyes. Levy however just 'ahh'ed and accepted it. All things considered, one clone compared to fifty wasn't too bad.

XxXxXxX

Sliding into the town sideways, Erza pulled the cart up into a perfect parallel park, stepping off the driver's seat and onto the ground before everything had even finished shaking. Natsu flung himself from the prison with absolute relief, landing face first on the ground, kissing it and swearing he'd never set foot in another motor vehicle again. Happy drifted out the window slowly, still yawning and rubbing an eye as he woke up after a second nap. Lucy stepped out gracefully and stretched her arms above her head, turning quite a few heads in the process. Gray and Levy were chatting about something and Naruto staggered out, not at all happy with that last sideways slide.

Holding his head, Naruto made his way up to Erza and pulled on her sleeve. He flinched at the glare and held his hands out. It wouldn't do much good to get hit and dispel. "I sense... weird something in train behind."

Still glaring at him, Erza crossed her arms. "What?"

Seeing Naruto trying to explain, Levy ran up. Quickly discussing things in a mixture of his native language and hers, Levy was able to understand what he was trying to say. "Erza, while we were driving, Naruto could sense something odd in that train we passed. He sent a clone out to investigate it and found someone suspicious on it."

Sending a now annoyed glare at Naruto, Erza raised a hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Cringing, Naruto shivered. "Didn't want hit."

"No excuse!"

Swinging down, Naruto cried out and danced around the blow before coming to hide behind the small blue girl by his side. Internally laughing her head off, Levy held a hand out to Erza, trying to calm the woman. "Erza! Please forgive Naruto? He was only trying to help as best he could. He can lead us to the guy anyway, right Naruto?"

"Yes..."

Rolling her eyes, Levy smiled. "See? So what do you say, let's go catch us this creep. First stop, the train station!"

Taking Naruto's hand Levy then began to walk him away from the redhead, all the while casting cautious glances over at her. Erza just watched them walk a bit before sighing and calling out to the others. "Alright, we're headed to the train station to hopefully catch a suspect. Gray, please bring Natsu."

Shooting the unofficial leader a hurt look, Gray began protesting. "What? Why should I have to waste energy dragging that dead weight around? It'd be better to just dump him in the nearest bin... and..."

He trailed off as Erza levelled a gaze of legends on him. "What was that?"

Sweating bullets, Gray quickly retracted what he just said. "N-n-nothing Erza! I'll just grab him..."

Nodding, Erza turned away as Lucy watched on, a bemused expression on her face as she watched Gray get scolded. She sweat dropped though when Gray just grabbed Natsu's foot and began dragging him along behind him, face down in the dirt.

Watching him pass her, Lucy shook her head and began walking. They had a strange friendship.

XxXxXxX

Nearing the Onibus station, Naruto stood up and stretched. It seemed there was to be a half hour break before the train began moving again. Stealing a look through the window behind him, Naruto saw the Shikamaru lookalike stretching as well, looking like he was ready to get off.

'Good, now to just try and lead Erza and the others to him.'

Feeling the train draw to a halt, the doors opened and Naruto walked out the door casually, watching his target from the corner of his eye. He watched the man look around before popping his collar up high and tucking his hands into his pockets, disappearing into the crowd seamlessly. He had done this before it seemed.

Quietly, Naruto created a clone and dispersed it, the brief presence of a random extra not being noticed by the busy crowd around him. The smoke didn't seem to be a problem either with the majority of people around him lighting up various pipes as they left the train. With the knowledge of where he was transferred to his clone, Naruto stretched and began following the man lazily. He made sure to stop and look in a few windows that were dotted around the station to put off even the slightest hint he was tracking him.

When the man turned a corner into the main street, Naruto frowned and ducked into an alleyway. Getting away from the crowd, Naruto jumped to the roofs and silently ran across them, sliding to his stomach and peeking his eyes over the edge of a gutter. His eyes flicked around a bit before spotting the guy. He watched him wander through the crowd and head for a bar that looked like it said something about Mages. Squinting, Naruto ran the symbols through his mind and managed to come up with the word 'Onibus Bar – Mages Only'.

Smirking, Naruto watched him disappear into the door. The fact this guy was a mage instantly made him an even better subject. Naruto would have loved to just jump down there, scoop the guy up and run him off for interrogation, but he could just imagine how well that'd go down when he couldn't even speak the language.

Sighing, Naruto looked around and to his surprise saw a flash of long striking red hair walking down the street, people breaking around her to give her space. Trailing behind her was Levy on one side of his clone and Lucy on the other, obviously there to prevent any of the harsher knocks dispelling him. And rounding out the group was Gray and a dirty Natsu, glaring into each other's eyes as Happy floated above them, chirping gaily.

Creating another clone and dispelling it, he saw the clone with Lucy and Levy pause before looking up over in his direction. He made eye contact with it and gave it a slight head nod.

"**Kawarimi (Body Replacement)**."

Feeling the usual rush that accompanied the technique, Naruto blinked before tapping Levy. "Am here."

Looking up at him, Levy raised an eyebrow. "Yes Naruto, I know."

Shaking his head, Naruto pointed at the roof. "Look slow. I real me."

Frowning, Levy looked up and saw a smile on the roof before it disappeared in a burst of smoke. Blinking several times to make sure she saw what she saw, Levy turned back to Naruto.

"So you're the real one now?"

He nodded. "Yup. That's me."

Biting her lip, Levy realised she was beginning to accept his strange abilities. Smiling to herself, she looked back at him. "So where to now?"

Naruto pointed over at a bar. "In there."

Tapping Erza on the shoulder, Naruto gained the group's attention. "Ok, man with spiky hair black in topknot, and ear rings with big collar. That is the man and in that bar."

Nodding, Erza crossed her arms. "Good work. We'll trail him to see where he goes. We should also probably send a few people out to ask about Eisenwald. Gray, Lucy, you two can – what?"

Naruto had his hand up and when noticed, pointed at himself. "I can do. Clones better ok?"

Frowning, Erza shook her head. "No, it would be too suspicious having fifty blonds wearing orange running around. Gray, Lucy... WHAT?"

Again Naruto had his hand up and grinned once noticed. "I change. It ok, no one know it me. Watch."

Forming the ram seal, he muttered something and he went up in a puff. Erza's eyebrows raised while everyone else gasped as now a second Erza stood before them, grinning like Naruto usually did. Another puff went off and then Naruto was standing there again happily. "See?"

Sighing, Erza looked at the group and gave in. "Fine, do it your way then. Be quick about it though, we only have twenty five minutes left until the train leaves."

"Right! Be back quick."

Disappearing into the crowd, the group watched him head for an alleyway. A moment later, a barely noticeable cloud of smoke was visible above the roof, and then Naruto came strolling back out. Walking up to them, he nodded. "Ok, let's go."

Heading towards the bar, Lucy took one last look at the alleyway and saw person after person slipping out and into the crowd. She counted atleast fifteen before a sharp call from Erza had her running.

XxXxXxX

Inside the bar, the group got a table and ordered drinks, leaning back into their chairs as they waited. Tapping a finger to a beat in her head, Erza looked over at Naruto and leaned in. "So can you see this fellow?"

Casting a gaze around the room, Naruto nodded. "Corner behind Lucy. Big spiky hair."

Leaning back, Erza took a look and nodded. She could see the guy. He was hunched over his drink, doing his best to blend into the shadows and not attract attention, back to the wall. Erza wouldn't have even seen him had Naruto not pointed him out. He also glanced about from time to time, checking his surroundings. It seemed normal, but the intensity of his glances as well as his hunched appearance and hands free for action begged to differ. Smiling as the waitress brought them their drinks, Erza paid her and took a sip of her root beer. Placing it down, she looked at her friends, glaring at Natsu and Gray.

"Alright, it seems Naruto was right. Lucy, directly behind you is the guy we're looking for so unfortunately you can't see him."

The girl's face dropped and her neck began to prickle, now aware of the person. "Awww why'd that have to happen? Can't I swap places with someone?"

Shaking her head Erza explained. "No, that could be counted as suspicious and scare him away. He looks like he needs to get back on the train so we'll all follow him on alright? One person on each carriage will be good enough."

Naruto rocked slightly as a memory came back to him. "Yep, something happening with Eisenwald. Heard someone talk someone about rumour attack."

Raising an eyebrow, Erza looked over at Levy as she explained. "Naruto's clones can pop, and when they do, anything they've learnt comes back to him. That's the reason he's picking up the language so fast."

Smiling grimly, Erza took another sip of her drink. "Well, in any case, now that we know that this man is most likely a member of that guild, we'll have to capture him. Wait till he leaves and then we'll head him off."

Seeing various levels of agreement, Erza returned to her tapping, watching the man out of the corner of her eye. About ten minutes passed before the stranger looked at his watch and stood up, leaving a few coins on the table. He then moved out and slipped into the crowd. Giving him enough time, Erza then stood up. "Time to get him. Natsu, Gray, with me. Lucy, Levy, Naruto, you follow back a bit and watch out backs."

Nodding, Naruto and the girls watched as Erza led the boys out, a tight grip on each of their wrists to stop them from mucking up. Waiting a moment, the second group then stood and wandered out. Entering the crowd, Naruto looked around to find Erza. Unfortunately the majority of the people were too tall so Naruto turned to Lucy and wrapped his hands around her slender waist.

"What are you – NARUTO!"

Lifting her into the air easily, Naruto let her head stick up just over the crowd. "See anything?"

Holding her skirt down, Lucy blushed a bright red and kicked around. "Nothing like what you'd be seeing right now! Put! Me! DOWN!"

"Come on Lucy, just have a quick look! Naruto has his eyes closed so don't worry."

A little white lie never hurt anyone as Naruto currently had a light flush on his cheeks as he got a fine look at one of the best backsides he had ever laid eyes on. Levy was glaring at him but he wasn't too worried about that. Lucy's legs crossed in embarrassment but she stopped kicking nonetheless.

"E-Erza is over near the t-train station. Can you _please_ put me down now?"

To her relief, she found the ground under her feet again and looked up at the taller boy, pouting. He just smiled back at her, his eyes a little less focused than usual. Blinking, he then began walking and clearing a path for the girls, the smile never leaving his face. As they walked Lucy moved up beside Levy and leant down to her ear.

"Liar."

Giggling sheepishly, Levy stuck her tongue out and scratched her cheek.

XxXxXxX

Reaching the spot Lucy described, Naruto looked around. Frowning he lifted up onto his tip toes but couldn't see the other Fairy Tail members. Looking back at Lucy, he raised a questioning eyebrow. Looking around Lucy tried to see them. "I don't understand, they were just here!"

"There you are!"

Turning, the group saw Erza striding towards them, a furious look on her face. The group cringed under the glare, hoping they hadn't done anything wrong. Naruto however noticed a lack of members.

"Where Natsu? Gray?"

Erza growled and just barely stopped herself stomping a foot. "Natsu decided that he'd jump the guy and so tried to run ahead. Gray and I managed to stop him but by that stage, the commotion had caused our quarry to startle and run. When I tried to spot him, Natsu kicked Gray off and Happy decided to take him for a fly. I have no idea where they are now and Gray is unconscious by the controls. Honestly, this couldn't have worked out any worse!"

Hearing the train whistle, Erza let out a frustrated cry and actually did stomp her foot this time. "Damnit Natsu!"

While Erza fumed, Naruto's ears pricked as he heard a familiar retching sound. Turning to look at the departing train, Naruto also felt the wrongness begin to fade.

"Erza-san."

Naruto mentally congratulated himself for taking the death stare without a flinch.

"Wrongness just left on train, so man gone. Natsu there too, heard vomit."

Slapping a resigned hand to her face, Erza sighed. "Trust that boy. Oh well, back to the SE."

Naruto leant down to Lucy. "SE?"

Lucy looked up at him. "Self Energy. Short for that magic four wheeler."

Nodding Naruto began following Erza. "I want roof again then."

XxXxXxX

Climbing onto his seat, Naruto looked over as Lucy called up to him. "Naruto, by the way, what's going on with your speech? It's clearing up really fast!"

Scratching his cheek, Naruto chuckled. "I left lots of clones here. They all talk with people and I just learning."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "How many, exactly?"

Pursing his lips, Naruto had a quick think. "Uh... one fifty hundred?"

Lucy's eyes widened. "What, really?"

"Naruto, in the carriage."

Looking at Erza, Naruto shook his head. "No, I ok here."

Rolling her eyes, Erza didn't push it any further and jumped into the driver's seat. "Fine, but if you fall off I'm not stopping."

Naruto nodded and crossed his legs. Looking over, Lucy had already climbed into the car. Shrugging, he let it go. Grinning as the vehicle reversed, he then let out a joyful laugh as they shot off down towards the tracks.

XxXxXxX

Naruto held on tight and they bounced across the rocky ground. He raised a hand to his headband and held onto it as he felt the wind continue to tug it lose. Frowning, Naruto tightened the knot behind his head and stood up. They were rapidly catching up to the train and Naruto prepared himself to jump and board the last carriage. The opportunity was lost when Natsu was suddenly thrown through a window and into direct line with Naruto. Crying out, Naruto caught the boy's head fair in the gut and subsequently had the wind knocked right out of him, causing him to lose focus on his feet, lift off the roof and hit the ground solidly before rolling away.

Watching the train begin to draw away, Erza was faced with a tough choice. Follow the man or grab Natsu and Naruto. After a moment of indecision, Erza groaned, pulled the breaks on and skidded to a stop. The Kunugi station was just ahead so the train would have to stop anyway, so they'd be able to catch up without too much hassle. Turning around, she got back to the duo and jumped off.

"Get on, NOW! I've wasted enough time on you Natsu!"

Groaning, Natsu held his head, looking up at Naruto weakly. "What the hell is your gut made out of? Steel?"

Gasping in measured breaths, Naruto looked up. "I could ask... same thing."

Lucy, Levy and Gray all popped their heads out the window, watching the boys lie there in pain. Lucy jumped out first and jogged over, her more nurturing nature desiring to make sure they were ok. Checking them both, Lucy puffed out her cheeks.

"So how did you get thrown from the window anyway?"

Sitting up, Natsu rubbed his head a bit more. "That spiky haired bastard we were chasing threw me out."

"IDIOT!"

Lucy jumped to the side in shock as Erza pushed past and slapped Natsu hard across the cheek. "How could you let him get away? You KNEW we needed him!"

Walking over, Gray smirked. "You got beat up by him? How was he?"

Pouting, Natsu drew circles in the ground with his finger. "Not much. He kicked me in the face but I didn't even feel it. I managed to get a good hit on him though till the train lurched. Some weird skull flute fell out of his pocket but that's when he kicked me out the window."

Listening in on the convocation, Lucy gasped in horror as Natsu's description drew a memory. "D-did you just say a skull flute? Did it have three eyes?"

Crossing his arms, Natsu frowned. "Hmmm... I dunno, it could have. I didn't really see."

Looking over, Erza sent Lucy a look. "What do you know?"

Her eyes dropped in fear as she began to give details. "Lullaby... it's actually a cursed song. I've only read about it in books, but one of the forbidden spells is the death curse. A horrible black magic that can suck the very soul out of the person it's cast on. Well, apparently this Lullaby is even worse! The flute itself was never used for anything other than curses until the Black Mage Zeref got his hands on it. He turned it into a demonic flute; one with enough power that whoever hears the melody played by it will die! The mass death curse, Lullaby!"

That instantly brought on a mass discussion between everyone as they tried to understand what was just described. Naruto however, merely sat back, holding his stomach gently as he repeated Lucy's words in his head. A demonic flute hey? Apparently demons back in his own world had been able to be locked into inanimate objects before, so this wasn't impossible. That would explain the strange feeling and why no one else could sense it too. If this thing really was going to be released and it was anything like the demon in his stomach, then it had to be stopped at ALL costs.

Standing, Naruto started walking past the group. "Get in car or I go on ahead alone."

Everyone paused when they heard the tone of his voice. No matter what the situation, Naruto had always seemed to be carefree, much like Natsu. But now, this seriousness he was displaying was enough to make everyone, even Erza, quieten and quickly make their way back to the car. Pausing by the boy, Levy looked up.

"Are... are you ok?"

Naruto shook his head and looked down with a sad smile. "I seen demon in my home. I just want to stop it here."

Returning the smile, Levy nodded and climbed into the car. Taking a breath, the cabin rocked as Naruto jumped onto the roof. Another smile made its way to her lips as she felt her trust in Naruto grow. It didn't matter if she didn't know everything. Just knowing Naruto wanted to save people was enough for her.

XxXxXxX

Erza skidded to a stop on a cliff above the Kunugi station. The carriages were left there in front of the station, with the engine and first compartment gone. The group listened in on the bits and pieces that they could pick up from the distance. Things like, 'hijacked', 'Dark Guild' and 'giant scythe' floated up to their ears and Erza nodded gravely. Quickly piecing together the puzzle, she turned and looked over her shoulder.

"Well, it looks like Eisenwald has stolen the train, thanks to you Natsu. We would have made it too."

A pathetic whimper floated from the windows as Natsu clutched his swirling head. Naruto looked down at the station, not quite understanding the point of their motives. "Why steal train? It goes only on tracks."

Happy poked his head out the window and looked down. "Aye. Eisenwald must have a blond for a leader cause that's really dumb."

The cat received two indignant cries at the comment but ignored them. Erza chuckled at the cat and spoke up. "No, I can see the reasoning. It may only follow tracks, but it is fast, one of the fastest things in Earthland. The only reason we can catch up to them is because of me."

Lucy nodded, seeing the simple fact behind the arrogant sounding statement. "Yeah, but the military should be able to catch them yeah? Or atleast, head them off at the next station..."

Naruto meanwhile had begun fidgeting, anxious to catch up to the dark guild. "Can we go?"

Looking up at him, Lucy gave him a sad look. "You really want to stop this don't you?"

Naruto said nothing and just grabbed his headband as Erza took off.

XxXxXxX

Skidding into the next town of Oshibana, Erza floored it towards the station, desperate to make it in time. Leaning out the window, Gray called out a warning to her. "Don't go too fast or you'll run out of magic power!"

The woman laughed. "I don't care; I just want to get there before anything bad happens. Besides, I have you and Natsu here. We'll be ok."

Pulling his head back inside, Lucy gave a shriek as she noticed that he was naked again. Naruto however ignored them and kept looking ahead, trying to see their stop. Smoke was billowing up in the distance and an ominous feeling settled on the blond. Finally seeing the station, Naruto swallowed as he saw it as the source of the smoke. Feeling the vehicle beneath him lock the breaks on, Naruto crouched and jumped, using the momentum of the car to carry him over the crowd and officials, landing behind them and sprinting up the stairs in a flash. He heard someone shout at him, but he ignored it.

Looking around, he could feel that strange wrongness return, smothering the area. Running from door to door, he found nothing. Dashing up the stairs, he stopped when he saw what looked like over fifty guards all lying on the ground, either groaning in pain or completely knocked out. The lack of spirit from a few of them made Naruto guess they might already be dead too. Kneeling beside one who was awake, he gently tapped his face.

"What happen?"

Groaning, the man opened an eye to a whiskered face. "A – A train derailed and _hnnn_... and a dark guild came running out. They beat us down and pushed every... everyone else out. I don't know what they want!"

Naruto nodded. "Thanks. Now sleep."

Tapping a pressure point on his neck, the man lost consciousness. Straightening up, Naruto heard the rapid tapping of about five feet drawing close. Turning, Erza and the group appeared around the corner, Natsu draped over Lucy's shoulder, still apparently affected by the motion sickness.

"Do you know what happened?"

Naruto nodded. "And you?"

The redhead nodded. Frowning, she cast a gaze over the fallen men. "This is horrible. Who could do such a thing?"

Lucy sighed as she looked around as well. "Horrible people I guess. I just hope they aren't too strong."

"Indeed." Turning, Erza pointed a finger at Levy. "Levy, would you please run around the area and set up a few support and trap runes? Anything that could help us at all will be greatly appreciated."

"Sure! I'll be off then."

Waving, the blunette then turned back down the previous hallway and started running. Smiling, Erza cracked a few knuckles. "Now to put these people in their place."

Running the stairs, she drew level with Naruto and the two dashed down the main hall, the others not too far behind.

XxXxXxX

Skidding to a stop, the four mages, one ninja and one cat came face to face with the guild they had been chasing. Apparently, it was the entire guild too, if anything to judge by the numbers. They all turned and looked at the group, smirking as they saw the pitiful assembly.

Erza stepped forward and looked around. As she did do, a deep laugh echoed out to greet them. "Ah, flies of Fairy Tail, welcome. I had a feeling you'd turn up."

Scrutinising the owner of the voice, Erza frowned. "So, you're Erigor I presume?"

Naruto glared at the man as he laughed again. The pale human had a sharp face with a rather long fringe hanging down and covering the left side of his face. A small dark blue arrow tattoo reached down from each of his lower eyelids, stopping just in line with his nose. The rest of his hair stuck up backwards in a similar fashion to Sasuke's, only his was a light gray in comparison to the Uchiha's deep black. A ragged black cape was tied around his neck, hanging halfway down his bare back, his whole chest and upper arms covered in blue spiralling tattoos. Below his bare torso was an equally raggy white belt and pair of faded blue pants, each looking like they'd be better off in the bin than clothing someone. A large death scythe hung lazily over his shoulder too, just begging to be used on someone, anyone.

The man said nothing though as the Shikamaru lookalike spoke up, venting his frustrations at Natsu. This seemed to snap the fire child out of his sickness as he heard his voice. Pushing himself to his feet, Natsu turned and levelled a dangerous glare at the spiky haired man. "You might as well bend over and show me your ass now because I'm going to kick it so hard your grandkids will feel the bruise!"

Interrupting further threats from Natsu, Erza cut him off with a worthwhile question. "What do you plan to do with Lullaby?"

Laughing again, Erigor then stood up and actually floated off the roof of the carriage. The small batch of Fairy Tail mages all widened their eyes as they saw the evil man do a couple of lazy spins through the air.

"H-he's flying!"

"That's wind magic!"

Hearing Lucy and Happy shout out, Naruto looked up at the smiling devil. Wind magic hey? Had Naruto not seen that with his own eyes, he would have just laughed, but now that he knew it was possible, an idea began to form in his mind. Reluctantly pushing it to the back for the moment, Naruto focused as Erigor spoke.

"Oh, you didn't realise? In a station this big, what could there be?"

The group's eyes widened as he then alighted on the speaker system. So that's what they had planned.

"You intend to broadcast Lullaby?"

Erigor laughed again. "There are currently thousands of people surrounding this building. Turn the volume up enough and the whole city hears the beautiful song. Simple isn't it?"

Growling, Erza took an aggressive step forward. "You want to play this to innocent people? Why?"

He laughed again. Naruto bristled at the grating noise. "Because these ignorant people don't even know that while they enjoy their rights and safety, others are denied these simple privileges! Living life ignoring these things is a sin of the worst kind. So the death god has come to punish the sinners!"

Lucy then stepped up, appalled by his logic. "So what, this is all about you wanting to get your rights back? You're a Dark Guild for a reason! You committed hundreds of crimes! You've even _killed_ people!"

Erigor shook his head. "No, we haven't come this far for rights; we've come this far for power. By gaining this, we can wipe the slate clean and control the future! Isn't that wonderful?"

Just as he threw his head back to laugh again, a resounding crack echoed loudly through the room, quickly followed by one of the train carriages exploding as Erigor was brutally kicked through it and into the ground. Wide eyes all around looked at the destruction, then up at where the man was standing. In his place was Naruto, his eyes hidden as a malicious aura began to press down on everyone present.

"You... you scum! You don't know how much human want to just live in peace. You try break this, I will _KILL YOU!_"

The majority of the dark guild swallowed when the blond shouted at them. He was not mucking around. The group from Fairy Tail however was now looking at Naruto in shock. Did he really just threaten to kill these people? Evil or not, death was never allowed. Growling, Erza frowned. This was just what she needed, another loose cannon. Pulling a sword out, she knelt down in preparation for the fight. Something told her it was not going to be pretty, not by anyone's standards.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Thanks a bunch guys. You actually managed to overload my account and broke the hits counter somehow. I duno if it's just a glitch with the website or what, but damn..._

_I really hope you like how the language barrier is slowly being broken down too. It's pretty tough trying to develop two different, non English languages using only English so I hope it's been believable thus far._

_Again, this goes out to everyone who helped me make over 200 reviews. Over 200 reviews people, in 4 chapters! That's some serious love right there._

_See ya next update! Vandenbz once again helped with the beta. Good dude._

_Lanky Nathan_

_*EDIT* Apparently Naruto HAS seen a train before in the first Naruto movie. I haven't seen it, so please forgive the glitch. It's not like it's gona make any impact in the future anyway so lets just pretend the movie never happened ^.^_


	6. Chapter 6

**Day after last. Training still hurts. More sleep.**

**Don't care, out.**

XxXxXxX

"Master Erigor!"

The dark guild members looked on in absolute shock as the aura continued to press down on them. Their leader, their _death god_, defeated in a single hit? Impossible! The weight continued to increase on them until an agitated growl sounded out from the wreckage.

"Don't write me off yet you fools. It'd take more than that to finish me."

Redirecting his gaze, Naruto locked eyes with the man as he rubbed a growing lump on his jaw. Turning to the side, he spat out a wad of blood. A slightly maniacal glint had entered his eyes and he stared up at the blond, smiling at him through bloodied teeth.

"You must really want to die maggot! Oh, trust me when I saw once I'm done, I'm coming for your head!"

Naruto balled his fists up and frowned. "Why wait? Come at me now!"

Chuckling, Erigor winced as he touched his lump. Standing, he let his magic begin to lift him off the ground, quickly riding above Naruto's current position. "While I'd love to, I currently have more pressing issues. Don't worry though, I WILL find you. Men! Finish off this lot will you? Leave the blond one alive though. He's mine!"

Seeing him flicker, Naruto jumped at him. "WAIT!"

Just as Naruto reached him though, Erigor phased out, disappearing from view. Shooting through his after image, Naruto flew a little way before landing on the far wall. Growling, he punched it, leaving a small indent in the cement. Calming himself, he took a few breaths and closed his eyes. That cursed Kyuubi chakra had started coming through again, affecting his mind. It had been a while since someone had been able to rile Naruto up like that. Turning his thoughts internal, Naruto scrutinised himself.

'What is it about him that made me so crazy? Even around Pein I didn't lose it like that. So what was it about him?'

Sighing, Naruto shook his head. Killing him randomly like that wouldn't be upholding Jiraiya-sensei's teachings all that well. It wasn't a drive to kill for revenge though, so what was it? The answer was right there, but just out of his grasp. Standing, Naruto let the minute amounts of Yoki seep back into the seal. Turning his gaze across the tracks, he looked at the group who were now fighting. Natsu and Gray had disappeared, leaving only Erza and Lucy to fight the guild. Snorting, Naruto crouched. Whose bright idea was that?

Jumping, Naruto flew over the tracks, landing lightly on a carriage roof before front flipping over the mob, twisting his body one hundred and eighty degrees to land facing back at the fight. Erza seemed to be handling herself well enough, the powerful woman pulling weapon after weapon from the air to deal with the varying attacks that came at her.

Lucy had summoned some strange looking, well dressed man with crab legs sticking out from his spine. He also sported a matching pair of short red antennae, sticking out from his head at a forty-five degree angle. He seemed to be flowing through the group of men, cutting them down with a pair of... scissors? Not quite sure what to make of that, Naruto just crossed his fingers. While the two were doing a good job of finishing off whoever ran at them, there were still plenty more who were eager to fight. Erza seemed to be running low on power too, probably as a result from driving that weird vehicle too fast.

"**Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone).**"

Instantly surrounded by twenty replicas of himself, Naruto charged forward into the fray. As his clones began to create havoc in the ranks of weak mages, Naruto backed up to Erza, knocking away a mage at her back.

"Where Natsu, Gray?"

Her sword disappeared in a bright glow to be replaced with a long spear with which she used to catch a downward sword swipe. Parrying it, she knocked the man to the ground with the blunt end before delivering him a powerful kick to the ribs, blowing him back and knocking down a few of his friends.

"While you were having your reflective moment over there, I sent them to catch up with Erigor. I hope you don't mind."

Dodging a swipe, Naruto unleashed a furious uppercut into his opponents gut, lifting him clean off the ground and knocking him out instantly. "Alright. I go to Lucy now."

Watching Naruto disappear from the corner of her eye, Erza frowned. Where had that malicious aura he was emitting disappear to? From what she knew, it took a lot of control to even focus intent like that. To simply switch it off as Naruto had done was beyond anything she had met before. Sliding around another feeble attack, Erza let her weapon glow and swapped it out for a mace, swinging the heavy weapon down and landing a solid blow to the man's legs. Stepping over him, she continued her swing into the man behind the first. Crying out in effort, she let it glow and brought her second hand around, catching a pair of twin swords. There was definitely more to Naruto than met the eye, and she was going to find out what it was.

XxXxXxX

"KYAH!"

Diving to the side, Lucy landed with her hands over her head as a sword narrowly missed her, shaving off a few weeks worth of hair in the process. Hearing him grunt, and then exhale, she looked up as the man flew over her head to land in a boneless heap several meters away. Looking over her shoulder with wide eyes, she saw Naruto standing there on one leg as he kicked through with a roundhouse, implanting another man into the ground solidly. Kneeling down, he looked her over before holding a hand out. "You ok?"

Blushing lightly, Lucy nodded and took his hand. She eeped as he easily pulled her to her feet, steadying her. What she didn't expect next was for him to wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace and spin her around.

"N-Naruto!"

She felt an impact jar through his body as something connected with him. Flinching, he snapped a fist up knuckles first into the face of a man who just landed a heavy punch into the middle of his back. Blood squirted from the orifice as his eyes rolled into his head. He wasn't given a chance to fall over though as Naruto spun through with a back elbow, catching the assailant to the cheekbone and blowing him away.

Naruto gently put Lucy down as the pretty girl's mind caught up with everything that happened. If Naruto hadn't just pulled her around in that hug, _she_ would have caught that last blow to the back of her head. Finding herself blushing again, she looked up at Naruto as he glared around them making sure it was safe for the moment. He caught her spell bound eyes though and chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry. You ok?"

Not quite trusting her voice, she just nodded. She couldn't remember the last time someone took a hit like that for her. Realising she was staring; she blinked a few times and looked away.

"T-thanks. I'll be alright now."

Apparently not, from the way Naruto pushed her to the side to land a solid fist in the surprise attacker's face. Frowning, Lucy tightened her fists. She was a mage of Fairy Tail, and here she was, needing to be protected like a child!

Frowning, she pointed at the rest of the group and cried out to her spirit. "Cancer! Cut all these guys down to size!"

The dark glasses he wore flashed as he crossed his arms. "Shrimp!"

Naruto's nose crinkled when he heard the speech quirk. "Wait, what?"

In a flash of steal, Naruto watched as the man dubbed Cancer shot around them at a blinding speed, quickly disposing of the rest of the men around them. There was one thing Naruto couldn't understand though.

"Why shrimp? He a crab!"

Lucy looked a little perplexed at the question. "It doesn't matter what he says, so long as he gets the job done!"

Naruto looked at the man as he snipped his scissors around his body in a strange dance. "Yeah... but still..."

Pouting, Lucy looked away. "Well sorry for something I have no control over."

Hearing Erza cry out, the pair looked over. She seemed to be getting cranky at the never ending stream of Eisenwald members. As such, her body had started glowing again as she requiped a whole new armour. The Eisenwald members all paused and looked up in delight as her original armour faded away, leaving her body dressed in nothing but light. Placing a hand on his hip, Naruto raised an appreciative eyebrow as he observed the lack of clothing. Yup, she was definitely a very well developed woman alright. Hearing a sigh off to his right, Naruto looked over at a star struck Lucy.

"I think I'm in love..."

Resisting the mental images that wished to spring forward, Naruto shook his head. A nose bleed now would do no good. Once the light passed, Naruto looked up to see Erza now dressed in a whole new outfit.

She was covered in a scaled metal outfit, with elbow length gauntlets and thigh high metal boots, hidden beneath a shin length skirt of pleated silver. Four wings of polished chrome also attached to the back of her torso plate, the front of it revealing her stomach and a very servicing amount of cleavage. Two small wings stuck out from under her loose hair just above her ears, the fringe now hanging low across the right side of her face. Two matching swords were clasped in each hand, and around her was a halo made out of probably ten or twelve gleaming swords.

'She's telekinetic?'

"Dance my swords! **Circle Sword!**"

The swords began rotating around her body, picking up speed until they were nothing more than a deadly glinting hoop of steel. Crying out, Erza flung them into the frozen crowd and in one move, decimated the forces of Eisenwald.

While, spectacular, Naruto couldn't help but question her judgment. "Why didn't she just do that first?"

Happy, who had been conveniently absent during the fight, decided to make an appearance. "'The Knight' is Erza's trump card in most fights. It takes a lot of magic power though so she usually saves it till last."

"And where were you hiding, useless cat?"

Crying out as Lucy grabbed him, Happy squirmed around in vein, trying to escape the cheek pinching torture. Ignoring them, Naruto jogged over as Erza fell to one knee, clothing reverting to what it was originally.

"You ok?"

Looking up at him, the red head nodded as she caught her breath. "Yeah... I just used too much magic power. Give me time though, I'll be fine. You go help Natsu and Gray find Erigor. Take Lucy too, she'll be more use with you."

Straightening, Naruto nodded. Turning, he ran to the nearest door, briefly stopping to gather Lucy and Happy. Watching as the group disappeared; Erza allowed herself a moment of weakness as she dropped her hands to the floor. She was _very_ low on magic power. Despite still not trusting Naruto after his initial comment towards Erigor, she had no choice but to leave it in his hands for the moment.

"Damnit."

XxXxXxX

Running along, Naruto tried to put himself in Erigor's shoes. 'If I was some floating freak bent on mass murder, where would I go?'

"W-wait! You're too fast!"

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto saw Lucy collapse against a wall, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Tisking in annoyance, Naruto skidded to a stop.

"You can't run?"

Shaking her head, Lucy gasped out an answer. "No... too...puffed!"

Walking back, Naruto knelt down in front of her. "Piggyback?"

The question got a foot imbedded into his back and he found himself face first on the floor, wondering what just happened.

"You wish you... could touch me some more."

Rolling over, Naruto scratched his head. "No? Just want to find Erigor fast."

Straightening up, Lucy closed her eyes. "Do you even know where he could be?"

Naruto shook his head as he stood, not even knowing where they were right then. Lucy let out a sigh and rubbed her temples. "Alright then, we need to try work out where he'd be. He said they were broadcasting it, so that means that they'll need to find the relay room. So that's most likely where they'll be!"

Squealing happily at her detective prowess, she jumped onto a surprised Naruto's back, kicking her heels into his sides and pointed forward. "Mush!"

"I thought you don't want ride?"

She shrugged. "I'm tired. Besides, don't you want to carry a beautiful girl like me?"

She started tearing at the eyes and placed a finger to her pouting lips, making herself look as adorable as possible. Ignoring that, Naruto looked at Happy. "She always like this?"

The cat blinked. "I suppose so. Nothing she ever does makes sense to me though."

Fuming, she dropped a fist onto Naruto's head. "Oi! I'm right here you know!"

Ignoring her, Naruto slung an arm through each of Lucy's legs and dashed off, eliciting a squeal of surprise from her at the rapid acceleration. "You tell me where to go!"

XxXxXxX

"Wait, that's Gray's voice!"

Skidding to a stop, Naruto looked over at Happy. "Where?"

Listening, the cat pointed at a destroyed door. "In there!"

Turning, Naruto ran in to collide with Gray as he came running out. Currently having more weight than Gray, Naruto steamrollered the teen, running him flat as his momentum carried him through.

"Gray! What wrong?"

Groaning from the floor, the mage rolled over, cracking his back in the process. As he got up, Naruto looked around curiously, seeing many spikes of ice jutting up all around the room, along with a member of the Eisenwald guild frozen within one extra big spike.

"What all this?"

Now kneeling, Gray looked up. "That's my magic, Ice Make. Enough here though! We gotta go find Erza and Natsu, Erigor is headed to the Guild Masters meeting!"

As the mage ran out, Naruto and Lucy shared a look. Readjusting his grip, Naruto hoisted Lucy up higher and ran out, easily catching up to Gray. Looking down from her seat, Lucy questioned the dark haired teen.

"So why isn't Erigor here?"

Casting her a glance, Gray grumbled something. "Can't you work it out? He wasn't going to play Lullaby here at all! That was just a rouse to get us trapped here!"

Gasping, Lucy grabbed Naruto's shoulders as she leant over. "No way! How could we have missed that?"

Gray sighed. "We were just too focused on the 'now', rather than trying to look ahead to see when they'd attack the meeting."

As Lucy leant back in fear, Gray cast her another glance as she bobbed away on Naruto's back. "So... what are you doing up there anyway?"

Blushing, Lucy raised a hand to her head and giggled. "Uh, I got tired?"

Rolling his eyes Gray let it go. "Whatever. Erza should be just here."

Appearing on a balcony that over looked the initial fight area, Gray called out to Erza, interrupting her interrogation of the Eisenwald guild members. "Erza! We need to get out of here! Erigor tricked us into coming here so he could lock us in while he went and attacked the masters meeting!"

Growling angrily, she thrust her current prisoner into the ground, smacking his head and knocking him out. "Damnit, just what we need! Where's Natsu?"

Gray shrugged. "We split up. We need to find him then escape!"

"Right!"

Standing, Erza leapt up the massive gap and landed lightly beside Naruto. Seeing him carrying Lucy, she glared at him. "Are you hurt Lucy?"

Blushing yet again, Lucy shook her head. "N-no, Erza, I'm fine."

"Oh..."

Casting them one more curious glance, Erza shook her head and poked Gray. "Lead us to Natsu."

"On it."

XxXxXxX

A massive boom sounded out from somewhere above the group and they all staggered around, trying to regain their balance. Hearing a frustrated cry after that, they all shared a look.

"Natsu."

Another boom and earthquake rocked the building and Erza ground her teeth together. "We must find him before he destroys the building. Let's go."

Taking head point, Erza started sprinting towards the noise, reaching a set of stairs at the end of the corridor. Charging up them, Erza looked around and saw Natsu kicking holes in the wall, his eyes flaming in fury as he cried out curse after curse at Erigor.

"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? COME OUT AND FIGHT ME LIKE A REAL MAN!"

A hand landed on his shoulder and in a scream of triumph, spun around, fist ablaze, ready to deck whoever it was that touched him. His hand collided with an outstretched palm causing a shockwave to blow out from the connection. The next thing he knew was fear as he looked into Erza's furious eyes.

"Where have you been all this time? Erigor has left!"

Backing away in fear, Natsu held up his hands. "I-I didn't know! I swear!"

Growling, the fiery mage resisted the urge to smack him and walked past the cowering boy. Seeing a balcony, she walked out onto it and was greeted by the sight of a massive protective tornado completely surrounding the building. Slamming her fist down onto the railing, Erza cursed. "How are we meant to get out of here? This is a one way wind spell!"

Naruto looked up at Lucy in confusion. "One way?"

Lucy's eyes hardened. "It means you can get in from the outside, but can't get back out from the inside, unless you want to get shredded in the process. There's no way to dispel it either."

"Hmm..."

Gently lowering Lucy to the ground, Naruto walked up to stand beside Erza. "Wind magic?"

Tapping her forehead as she though, Erza nodded. "Yes. And I cannot think of a way to break out yet."

Nodding slowly, Naruto reached out. The winds were very close and as he touched it, he felt his fingertips get shredded by the sharp winds. A hand quickly snaked out and grabbed it, pulling it away.

"What are you doing? Do you want to lose your fingers?"

Sucking the blood away, Naruto shook his head. "I heal fast. Just testing."

Rolling her eyes, Erza pointed back at Natsu and Gray, who were currently involved in another argument. "Go and stand with them if you have nothing better to do than shred your fingers."

Nodding again, Naruto stepped back, sucking on his fingers in thought. A giant tornado thing... he'd done something like that before, just nowhere near as large. He'd got stuck on it in the first stage of Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere) training. He had simply crated a swirling circle of chakra to stir up the water balloon before realising he had to cause his chakra to swirl in all directions to break the elastic rubber. Doing that same first step here, but on a greater scale might break the tornado, mightn't it?

Holding his hand out, Naruto let his chakra begin to circle in his palm, watching how the air reacted to the probing. It took a moment, but he began to feel his clothes gently rustle in the breeze. Kneeling down, he held his hand out and watched as the dust from the floor began to rise into the technique, swirling around in his little whirlwind. Smiling, he cancelled the chakra flow. Now, if he could do that just on a bigger scale...

His smile widened as an idea appeared. Calling out to the group, he waved them in. "Maybe I have way to get out. Stay here and watch."

Eyes widening, Lucy reached out just as he turned. "How though?"

Tapping his nose, Naruto winked. "Magic!"

Running to the balcony, Naruto looked up and then jumped. The group followed him out, looking up as he scaled the building to alight on the very most tip of the building. Squinting, Erza frowned as he suddenly grew still.

"What is he doing?"

Remembering this lack of movement from before, Lucy's eyes widened. "I know what he's doing! He said something about **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)** when he did that last time! It gives him heightened senses I think he said..."

Gray glanced at Lucy. "And how is that meant to help us?"

The girl looked at him. "Well, he said it didn't only help him with sensing things, but he didn't tell..."

Turning his face skyward again, Gray clicked his tongue as he waited. What did the weird blond have planned?

XxXxXxX

Standing perfectly still, Naruto let the natural energy surrounding him enter him and grant him strength. Shivering slightly as he felt the rush of new power, he opened his eyes and looked at the wind. It most certainly was powerful, whatever it was that caused it because while they were spinning around the tower at upwards of one hundred kilometres (sixty miles) an hour, they were that well controlled that they didn't disturb the air mere feet in from the perimeter. Nodding as his understanding of the technique increased, Naruto raised his hands into the ram seal and closed his eyes.

Swirl the chakra. Let the chakra take up the air and swirl it around. Good.

Now faster.

Stronger.

Wider.

Taller.

Thicker!

From the outside, Naruto began to disappear into a distorted air vortex as he began generating a tornado of his own. Reaching out with his senses, he pushed it up and outward, growing it to meet the size of the swirling winds just beyond his own. He frowned as they made contact, feeling the suppressive force of the enemy tornado trying to drag his own counter clockwise with it. Pumping more chakra into it, Naruto let it grow.

XxXxXxX

The group below had their mouths dropped open at the display of power, their jaws dropping ever further open as the swirling air around him continued to grow outward in a bell shape, moulding itself to the inside of the wall of wind just beyond them. Natsu looked over the edge as Naruto's vortex stretched past them, reaching right down, growing close to the ground. His eyes widened though as a familiar shock of blue caught his eye.

"Levy!"

Jumping from the balcony before anyone could say anything, he slammed a fire cased fist into the wall to slow his decent as he raced down. Quickly overtaking Naruto's wind, he let his hand fall from the wall and dropped the fifteen or so feet to the ground, landing solidly and dashing over to Levy. Grabbing her, he dragged her away from the edge of the wall to safety. Shaking her shoulders gently, he roused the girl.

"Levy, Levy! What happened? Who did this to you?"

Struggling to open an eye, Levy stirred and mumbled something. "N-Natsu?"

Nodding, he held her tight as Naruto's wind touched down, blowing out a considerable amount of rock and chewed up cement from the ground. "Yeah, it's me Levy, you'll be ok."

A familiar chuckle then sounded out from behind him. Turning his furious gaze to rest upon the man, Natsu ground his teeth together. "Kageyama."

The spiky haired man nodded with a grin. "Indeed! I see you found your precious rune girl too!"

Looking down at Levy, Natsu glared back up at the man. "You did this to her?"

He nodded, seemingly pleased with his work. "I had to! Don't take it personal or anything, just business. Couldn't let her finish those pesky things. They're an absolute pain to break. Though, I wouldn't mind if you _did_ take it personal. That'd just give me another reason to fight you!"

Growling dangerously, Natsu gently put the girl down. Standing, his eyes disappeared into his fringe. "You dare... you DARE lay a hand on my friend?"

The man laughed. "Yeah, I dare! What you gonna do about it?"

Raising a deadly glare to meet the creepy man's gaze, Natsu clenched his fists, fire exploding to life around them. "I'm gonna beat you to within an INCH of your life!"

Screaming, Natsu charged, fist raised. Laughing, Kageyama raised his hands. Arrows seemed to shoot from his very shadow as he did so, all with the intent of piercing Natsu through. Arching his back into painful positions, Natsu managed to dodge them and fell back to gain some room.

"Ha! That all you got? You'll have to do better than to if you even want to get near me!"

Screaming, Natsu charged again.

Rising up more arrows, Kageyama sent them shooting in at Natsu. "You honestly think that will work? You just tried it!"

Ignoring the taunt, Natsu slammed his fists together before reaching both arms far behind his back. Flinging them forward, he screamed out in effort as the enhanced fire magic easily broke through the shadow arrows and smashed into the mage.

"**Fire Dragons Wing Attack!**"

Not even given a chance to scream, the explosion slammed Kageyama back into the wall behind him, through it, into another wall behind that, through that one as well and finally into the third wall behind that. Even then, the force was enough to create a mass of spider webbed cracks to splay out from the point of impact. Coughing once, Kageyama's eyes rolled into his head, blood dripping from his mouth as he slumped into unconsciousness.

Not even bothering to look at his handiwork, Natsu turned and ran over to Levy. He frowned up at the swirling wind barrier as it continued to grow. Something else was happening within it too because now he could hear a loud buzz coming from it, sounding much like one razor blade over another. Frowning at the strangeness, Natsu carefully picked up Levy and quickly left the area.

XxXxXxX

Naruto frowned as he felt the wind barrier continue to repel his own. His own just didn't seem strong enough yet, and if he was to pump more energy into it, he'd risk destroying the building and killing everyone inside. Maintaining a steady flow, Naruto decided it was time to up the power. It was a fairly simple technique to hold, just requiring a whole lot more chakra than the average Jounin had. With that in mind, Naruto began to mould the outflow of his chakra, twisting it with his own elemental nature. A high pitched whine began to emanate from the contact points as Naruto's own wind imbued tornado began to actively tear into the external one.

Breathing steadily, Naruto pushed more wind natured chakra into the tornado, smiling slightly as he felt it dig into the weakening wall beyond it. Just a little more and he'd be through. The noise unfortunately was proving to be a problem as it began to reach an ear piercing volume. Cringing, Naruto mentally called out an apology to his friends, asking them to endure it for just a small bit longer.

XxXxXxX

"Damn, what is this noise?"

The group on the balcony were all leaning against something for support as they clutched their tortured ears, poor Happy copping it the worst as his heightened sense of hearing made things so much worse. Crying out, Lucy slid to the floor.

"How much longer will this last?"

As if in answer to the question, a loud boom sounded out, shaking the very foundations of the building as Naruto finally broke through the prison. Sighing in relief, the group allowed themselves a moment of reprieve before looking out. Their eyes widened as they saw the last of the wind battle flick away, tiny whirlwinds dancing away down the streets as the power behind it dispersed. A moment later, Naruto swung in through the entrance, sending them an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about noise. Didn't think that happen."

Wriggling a finger around in her ear, Erza grunted. "It doesn't matter. It worked. Though next time you do something like that, you might want to think about the consequences _before_hand."

Chuckling nervously, Naruto just nodded. "So, we go now?"

Nodding, the group turned and began running down the stairs. As they left though, Naruto noticed Happy had still yet to move.

"Happy?"

Reaching out, he tapped the cat. Looking up through a clenched eye, he let go of his ears. "Huh?"

"You coming?"

"WHAT?"

Pursing his lips, Naruto looked over his shoulder. It would probably be best if Erza and Natsu didn't know about this just yet. Come to think of it, where was that boy?

"Where Natsu?"

"WHAT?"

Cringing, Naruto looked at the temporarily deaf cat. Sighing, he scooped him up in his arms and ran after the group.

XxXxXxX

Reaching the ground, the group looked around for Natsu. Seeing him crouched over a small body, everyone panicked and rushed forward.

"Natsu! Natsu! Are you ok? What happened?"

Raising his tear stroked eyes, Natsu hiccupped. "It's over! It's all over!"

Gasping, Lucy raised a hand to her mouth, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Gray, Naruto and Erza also gasped, not quite ready to believe that... that Levy was...

"THE NOISE IS OVER!"

Leaping around, Natsu crowed his thanks to the heavens above that that dreadful noise had finally subsided. A solid smack to his head later though, and Natsu was laying face first in the ground with Lucy screaming at him. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, SCARING US ALL LIKE THAT?"

Erza meanwhile had knelt beside Levy. While still unconscious, she was breathing fine. "She'll be ok. Natsu, how did this happen?"

Pushing himself from the floor, Natsu spat a wad off to the side in disgust. "That spiky haired prick Kageyama attacked her while she was writing runes. I told him I'd beat him close to death for even touching her, and I did. What's left of him is down there."

Pointing at a sizable hole in the wall, Naruto walked over and looked in. Seeing the bleeding mass of flesh three walls back, he whistled. "Nice!"

Pushing himself to his feet, Natsu dusted himself down and walked into the hole. "I can't let him die on me here though. I'm bringing him along so I can take care of him."

As Natsu walked in, Erza's eyes flashed. "That reminds me Naruto. What was that claim of yours inside that you'd 'kill' Erigor?"

Looking at Erza cautiously, Naruto shook his head. "I not follow..."

Crossing her arms, the rest of the group backed off. Sensing conflict, Happy disentangled himself from Naruto's arms and quickly flew over to Lucy, landing on her head. "You know full well what I mean. Why did you threaten to kill him? And what was with that horrific intent?"

Unconsciously grabbing his stomach, Naruto frowned. That wasn't a secret he was about to release just yet. Looking around at the group, he saw them all looking at him cautiously, interested in his answer.

"I am ninja where I come from. While I not like it, sometime, we kill."

A succession of gasps passed through the group at Naruto's confession. He'd actually killed someone before? Stepping forward menacingly, Erza clenched her fists. "How can you casually say that? Death is something to NEVER be taken lightly! No matter what they have done wrong, death is never the answer."

Frowning, Naruto didn't back down. "What do you know? Thousands in my world die because of evil men. If we weren't to kill them, then the killing keeps going. Revenge kills, assassin kills, they bad, but people who want power for evil reasons... they have their chance, but if they must, they die."

Taking another step forward, Erza raised a gauntlet clad fist. "But that is a HUMAN life you take! How do you live with yourself?"

Looking back calmly, Naruto easily met her gaze. "It's hard. Harder than you can imagine. But if it's to protect my home and peace, then I gladly lay down my life to take another's."

Stepping forward, Erza reached Naruto. The two were locked in a fierce battle of the wills, everyone outside of each other blotted out. Looking to the sky, Gray frowned. Stepping in, he placed a solid hand on Erza's shoulder. "Yes, it seems we have out differences, but for the moment Naruto is our ally. Time is wasting and you two are not helping. Erigor is our first priority here!"

Staring a moment longer, Erza stepped down, but not before one last glare. "This isn't over."

Naruto said nothing as they group began walking away. Natsu passed him, cautiously glancing over at him as he carried that Kageyama fellow along with him. Lucy also cast one more worried look over her shoulder before climbing into the SE and disappearing from sight.

Erza jumped onto the driver's seat and called out to Naruto. "You coming?"

Naruto shook his head. They all seemed a bit shaken by this so he decided to give them a little time to collect their thoughts. "I catch up."

Snorting, Erza revved the engine. "Suit yourself."

Spinning up the wheels, the mobile wagon took off, quickly disappearing down the street. Watching them go until he couldn't see them anymore, Naruto finally let his face soften. He could sympathise with Erza, but that didn't make her right. Sighing, Naruto ruffled his hair.

That could have gone better, but there were some recent events had enlightened him on life and death. Life was one big hypocritical circle. Live a life of peace and be killed by the evil of the world, or rise above them, kill the killers, and bring about peace. Death seemed to always be a solution to some situations, especially when the lives of innocents were at stake. The world Jiraiya spoke of was a world without each of these, but thus far it was proving to be a VERY big task to complete. Naruto wasn't about to back down from that though, not a chance.

Frowning, Naruto cupped his chin with his hand. There was something wrong with Erza for her to have reacted the way she did. The others were understandable simply because, if Naruto guessed correctly, they had never been faced with a person who had taken a life before. The look in Erza's eye though, it was almost like she was reaffirming something she had told herself, just as much as she was trying to convert Naruto.

Wandering inside the destroyed building, Naruto leant against a wall. Granted, this world was much more peaceful than his own, basking in the light rather than the shadows, but what would happen should a suitably evil person came along? Try to talk them out of it? While always a good starting point, most people like that hadn't responded all that well to Naruto's attempts. So far, he could count all the positive responses on one hand.

Thinking back to Erigor again, Naruto tried to work out just why he just rubbed him so completely the wrong way. Pondering it, Naruto nodded as he realised what it was. Having your system touched by the Kyuubi never helped rational thinking. Now that his head was clear, it made many times more sense.

Erigor had no alternate motive. While Pein wanted peace, Erigor just wanted death. There was no motivation for a greater good. He just wanted to laugh while the world burned. Shaking his head, Naruto sighed. That kind of man had no place in a world like this, or in any world for that matter. That kind of man was the kind that needed a death warrant on his head. It just seemed though that Erza, or the other members for that matter, didn't see it that way.

Rubbing his eyes, Naruto nodded to himself. If Erza couldn't understand that, then Naruto could sympathise. This world was a great deal different than his own. But she couldn't judge him for something she had never experienced. He gave a humourless laugh. If Erza had been the unlucky one to be shot over to his world, she'd probably be dead by now.

Looking to the sky out a window, Naruto sighed again. If he could somehow make his world like this one, then that would be just brilliant. No killing, no matter what. The thought brought a little smile to his face. It wasn't an 'if', he'd definitely make it, one day. Without a doubt, because that's what his father, the Third and his sensei entrusted with him. He would never let them down.

Tightening his head band, Naruto resolved himself. He was going to help finish off this mess he'd been dragged into and find out what was eating Erza so bad, but after that, it was time to say goodbye and find a way home. He had a job to do.

Looking around the corner, Naruto saw official looking people beginning to crowd around the entrance. Leaning back, Naruto quietly snuck back up the stairs and into the shadows.

No one even noticed the black and orange streak shoot from the third floor to the adjacent house.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – well, I hope this was enough to cover the driving need for battle for most of you! Let me know if it was believable enough yeah? I also hope the last bit was deep enough for those of you who questioned me have Naruto shout a death threat at Erigor. As always, if you see any errors, be sure to let me know._

_Still interested in any suggestions anyone has too, fyi!_

_Lanky Nathan_

**NOTE – I had a couple of negative responses to that last scene I wrote, along with a couple of absolute corker reviews from a few people who really went out of their way to help me. Hopefully this re-write is more believable now.**

**So a massive thanks to RurGo, Militant504 and X-Saviour for helping me keep the characters In Character!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hmmm ... day... stab in the dark, seven. Wait, no, that doesn't work. Ummm... bah, who cares, if I say it's day seven, it's damn well day seven! Time bends to MY will! I ain't anyone's bitch! So yeah, training is starting to come along. Not hitting the ground so hard anymore, or flattening as much ground. Progress is the key! Uzumaki be on his winning streak!**

**Day seven, out.**

XxXxXxX

Erza's vision began to blur as she gazed out at the train tracks through lidded eyes. The cart swerved around on the train tracks as she began to lose consciousness, her weight pulling the joy stick off to one side as she fell. This normally wouldn't matter too much, but when the tracks were supported several hundred feet above a massive canyon, it made things a little more dangerous.

"E-Erza? Are you ok?"

Casting a weary glance over her shoulder at Gray's concern, Erza struggled to speak up. "Y-yeah, I'm ok. We'll be... be there soon."

Gray leaned out the window, not at all convinced by the weak answer he received. "Are you sure? You've been driving this thing for a while now, not to mention you just came out of a pretty hectic fight."

Huffing, Erza propped herself up. "I said I'm fine didn't I? Just trust me!"

Pursing his lips, Gray conceded the fight. "Alright... well, just let me know if you want to swap over."

Erza let out a loud bark of laughter. "I'd prefer to actually make it there by sunset thank you very much."

Wishing to quickly finish the conversation there, Gray pulled himself back in the window, blushing slightly. He was greeted by Lucy's curious eyes and Levi snickering lightly.

Looking at her blue headed companion, Lucy blinked. "Why did Erza say that?"

"N-no reason."

Shaking her head, Levy cleared up Gray's hollow answer. "Gray drives like the old mages that have retired. I have never met someone so slow!"

Instantly seeing the funny side of things, Lucy slapped a hand to her mouth, rather unladylike snorts blowing from her nose. Blushing a little more, Gray turned and looked out the window, giving Natsu a good kick in the side to help with his discomfort. The boy just moaned while Lucy suddenly screamed something about someone losing clothes.

Just then, the cart started losing momentum fast. Holding on as it swerved, Gray jumped through the window as the girls screamed in panic, obviously thinking they were going to the bottom of the canyon. Swinging around, Gray apologetically kicked Erza from the driver's seat, grabbing the control and pulling the cart straight. Quickly losing what little momentum it had left, Gray sighed as it pulled to a stop. Looking over, he cringed when he saw Erza hanging by her arm, having been dragged through the dirt and rocks by the energy band still attached to her arm. Jumping down as Levy and Lucy looked through the window, they gasped as they saw Gray roll Erza over, the mage covered in scratches and small cuts.

"What happened to her?"

Thankful she was currently unconscious, Gray unclipped the band around Erza's arm and picked her up. "Erza decided that her ego was more important than her health and drove the SE till she had not a drop of magic left."

Opening the door, Gray dropped her in his spot and climbed into the driver's seat.

"What are you doing driving?"

Looking back at Lucy, Gray huffed. "Alright. Have you ever driven one of these things before?"

He saw her shake her head. He nodded his in response. "See? You have no idea what to do and Levy doesn't have enough stamina to drive something like this."

"B-but what about Natsu?"

Gray sent her a flat panned look. "You honestly think he could drive while vomiting up all of the last week's meals? And say he even could, what then?"

Seeing Lucy pause then shudder, Gray smiled. "So you see why I'm driving."

Settling himself down, he strapped the energy band around and checked everything to make sure it was ok. Being cautious, he quickly went over everything again. Pausing, he just did a third check. Better to be safe than sorry.

"Hey Captain Cautious, we leaving yet?"

Sending Levy a dark look, Gray finished up. "I'll have you know that I've had one of these things fail on me before because I didn't check it."

Rolling her eyes, the girl leant back in. Feeling a distinct lack of body beneath her feet, she looked down and noticed Natsu was missing. Quickly looking at the seat, she saw Happy was gone too. Then hearing a loud laugh, Lucy and her looked out the window.

"Wa-HAAA! Catch you losers in Clover sometime next week! Come on Happy, let's catch that flying freak!"

"AYE!"

Leaning out the window, Lucy screamed up at him while shaking a fist. "NATSU! WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE ME?"

Feeling a jolt though, Lucy sighed and pulled herself back inside. Atleast they were moving. After a few moments though, she checked out the window if they really were.

"Wow Levy, you weren't kidding, Gray really is a sloth!"

Sighing, Levy rested her chin in her hands and looked at Erza sleeping. "Yeah, it's just a waiting game now."

Moaning apathetically, Lucy slumped to the side. "Awww but what about the guild masters? We've got to warn them!"

Hearing a thump on the roof, they looked up. A blond head appeared in the window and looked around in confusion. Pulling his head up, they heard him call out to Gray. "Hey, why we move like snail? You low on magic too?"

Gray's exasperated sigh came back a moment later. "No, time is of the essence, but I must learn the handling of this thing first before I can drive faster."

Naruto snorted. "Sometime, you just gotta adjust on the fly!"

Gray's patient voice replied after carefully dodging a rock. "No, if I did that, we risk falling into the gorge. Then what use would we be?"

Lucy and Levy let out a giggle when they heard Naruto start to whine. "But Gray! What use are we if we never arrive? I walk faster than this dattebayo!"

"Nope, I must take it – wait, what are you – "

There was a thump and the wagon slowed to a halt. There was a scuffle and some muffled curses before Gray was thrown in through the window, landing on Lucy's crotch face down. Squealing, Lucy kicked him to the floor before sending him a dark glare.

"GAH! Naruto you retard, what did you tie me up for?"

A distracted voice answered him as Naruto looked around the driver's seat he now found himself in. "We never get there in time. I drive. It not too hard!"

"Y-you sure, Naruto?"

Turning, Naruto sent the girls a wide smile as they leant out the window. "Yeah! I have us there in no time! Just follow the tracks yes?"

Seeing them nod hesitantly, Naruto smiled and turned back.

'Alright. So this thing here turns the front wheels...'

Looking over, he saw the wheels twist from side to side as he moved the stick.

'Good. Um, the lever on it though... maybe to stop? We'll find out. This band thing though...'

Wrapping it around his arm, Naruto scrutinised it. 'The cart goes faster with the more magic they feed into it. I hope chakra works.'

Channelling some energy into his forearm, Naruto smiled as the cart gave a sickly lurch. "Woo!"

Ignoring the unsure comments from within the cabin, Naruto tried again. This time, the cart whined horribly, fell silent for a few moments, then unleashed a loud noise that sounded suspiciously like a fart. An awkward silence fell over the group as Naruto paused.

"Uh, that was the cart, not me."

The silence that followed didn't let Naruto know if they agreed or not. Shrugging, Naruto got back to it. He'd been through worse.

'Alright, keep a consistent flow into the power band and we'll get going!'

Channelling some more chakra, the cart lurched, stalled, lurched again and then exploded into a blaze of life as the unnatural fuel flooded the system. Naruto let out a peal of laughter that was overshadowed by the horrific screams of the mages inside the cabin as the cart shot forward and down the tracks.

XxXxXxX

Seeing a towering column of bright red flames, Naruto knew they were coming close to Natsu. They were making great time too, aside from those occasional instances where he had to create a few clones to catch the cart as he accidentally drove it off the edge of the track. Yeah, there had been plenty of screaming and stuff, but outside of that, no real complaints on his driving. He was feeling pretty good about it!

Levy and Lucy were also currently having a screaming contest in the back. Naruto would have joined in if he wasn't so focused on staying straight. They seemed to get louder every time he rounded a corner too. If there were any real words Naruto couldn't make them out, but if that's what they liked to do with their spare time that was cool with him. Finally seeing Natsu and Erigor come into view, Naruto squeezed the trigger and felt the whole cart lift up onto the two front wheels as the breaks grabbed.

'Huh, so that was the breaks after all.'

As the kinetic energy wore off, the cart slammed back down, bouncing a few times before coming to rest. Stepping off, Naruto pulled the armband off and stretched. Looking over, the flames had finally receded leaving a very burnt looking Erigor lying front of him, completely out of it. Hearing a loud slam, he looked over his shoulder as Levy, Lucy and Gray toppled out, all crying for some reason. Erza also followed, looking a lot better now than when Naruto first saw her.

Looking over, Erza's eyes thinned as she saw the blond. "Good to see you could catch up. I assume you were driving?"

Naruto shrugged, easily replying despite the dark vibes aimed at him. "Yeah, who else would be? And yeah, I catch up easy. Fast runner."

Not answering, Erza stepped over the still crying pile of bodies and walked over. Looking down at the fallen wind mage, she nodded upon seeing him completely inactive. Natsu bounded over soon after, happy crowing about his victory and his general awesomeness.

"Oh yeah, I didn't need any help! Why? Cause I'm just the best! No biggy or anything, just casually takin' out the head of Eisenwald while flexing my flames."

Rolling her eyes, Erza let a smile onto her face as she let Natsu bask in the ambience of his own splendor for the moment. Hearing a shaky couple of steps behind her, she turned and saw Levi and Lucy walk up, clutching each other for dear life. Gray also walked past, too manly to accept any help but looking just as shaky. Looking at them curiously, Erza wondered what happened. Naruto might have been a dark child, but he could drive pretty well.

When the two girls saw the unconscious wind user, they both sighed in relief. "Thank goodness this is all over! The drive, the fight, Lullaby, just everything!"

Slumping to the ground, they kept hugging each other. "Levy, what's say we call this a day and go home? I'm VERY ready for a bath."

"Mmmm-hmm."

Smiling, Erza allowed herself to relax a bit. It really did seem like things were going to be alright and a bath _did_ sound very inviting right about now. Looking back at Erigor, her eyes hardened as she saw Naruto kneeling over him, patting him down.

"OI! What do you think you are doing to him?"

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto sighed. "I check to try find flute. Threat not gone till flute gone."

Falling silent, Erza still glared at the 'killer', agreeing with him this once. A sudden sickly roar behind the group though instantly had everyone looking back over their shoulders.

"Hahahaha! You took your eyes off the ball Fairy Flies! Lullaby will yet be played!"

Kageyama had apparently awoken during the trip and after everyone left the wagon, jumped in the driver's seat and floored it. Everyone dived to the side as he shot past, the flute captured in one shadowy fist. Yet another launched out and punched Naruto off the tracks, the boy screaming the whole way down as he fell.

'Get rid of the bastard that managed to break Lord Erigor's wind barrier. Having him around any longer would be dangerous.'

"Naruto!"

Levy and Lucy all ran to the edge, looking over it fearfully as Naruto disappeared into the black.

"Happy! Go get him!"

Struggling to produce wings, Happy managed to create a set before they disappeared in a sparkle, just as quickly as they appeared. "I'm all out of magic sorry..."

Erza, Gray and Natsu however, were just glaring after the disappearing cart. "Damnit, how could I have let my guard down like that? Natsu, Gray, after him!"

Natsu nodded and took off with a wild cry, while Gray paused. "What about Naruto?"

Erza shook her head. "Something like that wouldn't kill him. Just follow that vehicle!"

Seeing him nod and begin chasing after Kageyama, Erza turned to the girls. "You two come with me. We'll follow at a slower pace."

Glancing at one another, Levy swallowed before speaking up. "Uh, we'd really rather wait to see if Naruto's ok if that's alright."

Erza's gaze hardened. "No, you will come with me. Naruto can look after himself."

Flinching under her gaze, the girls tried again. "Well, can one of us maybe stay then? Just so he knows where to go?"

Erza's gaze turned positively stormy. "I'll ask again, PLEASE come with me."

Unable to withstand the harsh woman any longer, a terrified shiver ran down both their spines and they jumped to their feet. "O-o-ok Erza-san. Right away!"

"That's better."

Just as they started moving though, they heard a few rocks crumble away and Naruto popped over the edge, covered in dust but otherwise fine. Gasping, Lucy looked him over. "How did you get back up? Are you ok?"

Waving off the worry with a smile, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I hit a big rock and stuck to it. Just climbed back up. So, shall we go?"

Both younger girls sent him wide smiles and nodded. Erza merely turned away and began to jog. Smiling back at his two friends, Naruto ran up beside them and fell into a casual pace. He knew he should probably run ahead but he didn't want to leave the girls here, especially while Erza was still that low on energy that she could pass out.

XxXxXxX

Natsu seemed low on energy too as Gray, Naruto and his group all caught up with him near the small town of Clover. A couple of jabs from Gray quickly solved that problem though, the fiery boy rising to the challenge.

Running through a large split in the mountains as the sun finally disappeared over the horizon, the group passed the now broken SE vehicle. Rolled onto its side, it looked like the engine beneath had been completely fried. Naruto sweat dropped as he looked at it for a little longer. Chakra seemed a bit too potent for the machine. This now though presented a new problem.

Looking around, Lucy frowned. "So where'd Kageyama go?"

It was Natsu's turn again to rise to the occasion, holding his head high as he sniffed around. Frowning, he looked over into the forest that edged the mountains and pointed. "That way!"

Following his trusty nose, the group ran over into the trees, batting away low lying branches and bushes as they pushed through. Popping through into a mini clearing, Naruto looked up in surprise.

The view from the small hill was absolutely spectacular. It gave a full one hundred and eighty degree view of the magnificent valley. Mountains rimmed the gorge, the very tips dusted with a light snow, the full moon creating a light show of sparkles from the frozen crystals. That turned to a light grey stone which then in turn became a beautiful, deep green as trees stretched as far as the eye could see. A little village sat in the middle of it all, blending in beautifully with the surrounding nature. From the closest edge of the town, Naruto could also see the train tracks disappear into it, apparently stopping there. All in all, the picture reminded him very much of his home.

"There he is!"

Looking over, the group saw Kageyama standing in front of Makarov of all people, flute pursed against his lips ready to play. Eyes widening, the power houses of the group made to jump into action when the most peculiar... person jumped in front of them. Everyone instantly jumped back, the only two people seemingly unfazed being Erza and Levy.

"Shh, the best part is yet to come! Just watch."

Struggling to understand what he was looking at, Naruto pointed a shaky finger at the human. "Wh - what are you?"

The person in question giggled, the now apparent males voice in a high falsetto, although it was clearly forced there. He was a rather overweight man with no sign of a neck or eyes, as his eyelids were mere slits. He had a dusting of blush on both cheeks along with bright red lipstick that clashed horribly with his balding head. A necklace made of large gold hoops adorned his neck, an unsightly pink singlet top stretching around his barrel of a chest. From behind him stuck a small pair of white wings, probably attached to the straps that held the top up. Pinstriped purple and pink shorts were worn beneath that, a pair of hairy legs sticking out from them, capped off with what looked like a pair of pink ballerina shoes.

"Oh, and you three are totally my type! So cute! Especially you! Those whisker marks are just adorable!"

Hurriedly backing up against a tree, Naruto shivered as the crossdressing man began blowing him kisses. Looking to Gray and Natsu for moral support, he found them suspiciously absent, having bailed the second the man's gaze was off them. Looking back, Naruto let out a small scream as he found the fat man now _very_ close to him.

"Master Bob, could you please stop flirting with Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

Instantly taking advantage of the distraction, Naruto shot straight up into the tree above, clinging tightly to the upper most branch, desperate to escape the unwanted affections.

"Awww, and here I was just about to introduce myself."

He danced back down to stand in front of Erza, hands clasped in front of his belly. "Erza-chan! How you have grown! You look positively delicious!"

Cringing, Lucy backed away, just as weirded out by the man as the boys were. "_This _is the master of Blue Pegasus?"

Hearing Makarov say something, the group looked over and saw Kageyama take a breath.

"NO!"

Before anything could happen though, Natsu and Gray both found themselves trapped under Master Bobs arm in a solid headlock. Naruto however ended up with the short end of the stick, his body captured between the vile man's legs the second he touched the ground.

"How the hell did you move so fast? Let go!"

Hearing a voice, the group looked over at another man resting against a tree. Naruto continued to struggle to escape, but found the man too slippery to grab. Moisturiser or something covering his legs in a thick paste.

"Oi, we told you to just sit tight and wait. This is where the good part starts."

Long, dirty blond hair hung down over the man's face as a weird witch's hat sat upon his head, a spiky red dog collar wrapped around the base of it. A pair of dark shades adorned his nose, a couple of wrinkles visible from behind them. A matching dog collar was wrapped around his neck which led onto a normal gray, skin tight shirt. A pair of black trousers disappeared under the bottom of that and a simple set of sneakers stuck out from under the legs.

Looking over in surprise, Lucy gasped as she saw another guild master. "Master Goldmine!"

"Well?"

Hearing Makarov speak, Bob mercifully let go of the three boys and floated away. Jumping back, each rubbed their abused body part and listened to the master begin his lecture. "You want to play that thing? It won't change anything. Weak humans will forever be weak, no matter how much time passes. Weakness in itself though isn't always a bad thing. Humans are weak by nature. This is why we form guilds. We meet friends and family there. We thrive, we work together and we survive. Everyone has their flaws, even myself, but as long as we are able to keep walking, together we will be able to find the strength to face tomorrow. Do this, and you wouldn't have to resort to something like that flute."

Everything fell silent as Makarov's words sunk into the spiky haired man's head. A soft gust of wind blew through the area before the soft clatter of something wooden hitting the ground reached everyone's ears. Dropping to his knees, Kageyama bowed his head. "I... I surrender."

Running forward, the guild members surrounded their master in congratulations, Erza slamming the old man's head against her metal clad breast, a loud clang sounding out upon contact. Naruto stayed back and watched them though, content to let them have their moment as a guild. Perhaps now, finally, this mess would be resolved.

"So, are you looking to join a guild or something young man? We could use a nice set of strong arms and legs like your own."

"LIKE HELL!"

Quickly resuming his place at the top of a tree, Naruto glared down at Bob, the odd man just looking up at him with a hand on his cheek, giggling away.

"_**Nothing but a cowardly bunch of cockroaches, the lot of you!"**_

Instantly on alert, the mages looked around as a vile voice filled the clearing. It was easily identifiable as demonic, the broken voice holding two, three, maybe even four different voices, each on a different vocal range.

Staring skyward, everyone dropped their jaws as a gigantic purple magic circle appeared in the air, rapidly rotating above them as electrical arcs began firing from the center of it, striking whatever trees and houses were within range.

"Wh – what the hell is that?"

An oppressive weight began bearing down on everyone, the malicious intent making it hard to breath. Gritting her teeth, Erza looking up at Naruto, her mind running a mile a minute. 'This feels exactly like what Naruto was producing. Why would a boy like him have the aura of a demon?'

"_**I can't stand it any longer! I'll devour you all myself!"**_

In a final explosion, a pair of enormous wooden legs struck down, clawed feet landing on each side of the city. Mounted to those legs was a gigantic body, gaping holes all through its middle, converging into a massively wide wooden chest. Two disproportionately long arms stuck out from its shoulders, each ending in razor sharp claws. Topping off the monster, a twisted head stuck to the neck of the beast, three dark eyes glaring down at everyone, a long tongue licking its lips. Its long, pointed ears stuck out horizontally from its head, hiding just beneath a pair of mammoth horns, jutting up into the sky, its body easily towering above the mountains around.

Swallowing, Naruto looked up at the creature in shock. 'Holy crap, that thing is even bigger than the Kyuubi!'

"What the hell is that thing?"

Looking down, he saw Lucy pointing up at in shock, trying to comprehend what she could see. Master Gold Mine seemed to have the answer as he replied. "That must be a demon from the book of Zeref."

Hearing panicked cries, Naruto looked down at the town as the people fled for safety. 'Good, atleast this way no one will get hurt.'

"Wait, I thought that Lullaby was the flute?"

Hearing Lucy's voice again, Naruto tuned into the explanation. "Nope, that monster is Lullaby. In other words, it's a living magic. _That _is Zeref's magic."

Gasping, the girl turned her gaze skyward. "No way, Zeref's magic? He's been dead for hundreds of years though! Why would his magic turn up here?"

Leaning a gigantic face in, Lullaby scrutinised its new prey. _**"So, which of you want to be eaten first? If you know you have a tasty soul, please, jump forward first!"**_

Raising a fist, Natsu cried back angrily. "How about none of us! You wanna eat so badly? Try fighting us for them!"

Hearing yet another group of voices, Naruto turned from his lookout point and saw a large gathering of people, all dressed in matching medieval knight outfits, flags upheld by a few of them with strange designs fluttering proudly above their heads.

"This guy isn't anything we can't handle! Men, onward with the attack!"

Letting out a loud cry, the men began charging. This managed to draw the attention of the titanic wooden beast. Raising a brow, the beast snorted. _**"Not even worth my time. Disappear!"**_

Inhaling a ridiculous amount of air, Lullaby exhaled and fired out a monstrous yellow beam of pure energy. It covered the distance from itself to the knights in a fraction of a second, hitting a mountain behind them and instantly making it explode violently, massive chunks of earth thrown everywhere. The ground rocked with the power of the blast, hundreds losing their footing and toppling over. Even a good fifty or so kilometers from the blast, Naruto still felt his tree shake around, the cries of Lucy and Levy sounding out as they toppled over.

Frowning, Naruto sized the beast up. 'He certainly has a great deal of power behind that mouth of his. I wonder what else he can do.'

Hearing a cry of retreat, Naruto sweat dropped as the formally brave knights turned tail and fled. He couldn't blame them though. If there was ever a thing Ero-Sennin taught him, it was that a tactical retreat can save your life for another day to plan a new attack. Hearing a deep chuckle, he looked back up at Lullaby.

"_**You know what? I haven't had a good feed in a couple hundred years. I think I'll just eat you all at once!"**_

"Sounds like fun! Come try it if you think you can!"

"Natsu, shut up! We're not here to provoke it!"

"What's wrong Lucy? You scared?"

"Of course! Who the hell wouldn't be?"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto sighed. Those two were made for each other. Quickly scanning the area, Naruto nodded as he saw that crazy man Bob was missing. Letting go, he dropped from his branch, vaulting off several more before landing lightly beside the group.

"Good luck my prince~!"

Shivering, Naruto ignored the well wishes from the fat man. Moving up behind the group, Naruto looked to Erza. "So what's the plan?"

Not taking her eyes off the beast, Erza called out to the other guild members. "Natsu, Gray! With me. Naruto, you act as back up and support us as needed. Levy, begin writing some runes to trip it up. Lucy, cover Levy. Understood?"

"Yes!"

"Well then, let's go!"

Just as everyone took off, Lullaby reared its head back and let out a deafening roar, the very air shaking with the power of the vibrations. Undeterred, Erza charged in, requipping out for the power of her Heaven's Wheel Armour. Firing out her swords, she let out a satisfied hum as she heard the swords cut deeply into the surface of the beast.

Gray came in next, placing a fist on top of an open palm as he charged his ability. Thrusting his palms face out, he braced himself as hundreds of long frozen spears exploded out, shooting up and into Lullaby's torso. "**Ice Make: Lance!**"

Rounding out the trio came Natsu, arms ablaze as he barrelled into the face of the thing with a mighty punch. "**Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!**"

Struggling under the rapid succession of attacks, Lullaby tried to step back but instead found itself tripping and toppling over. Looking down with a frown, Erza tried to find the source of this. 'That couldn't be Levy, runes take longer than that to write. So who... Naruto?'

Scattered around each giant foot of the leviathan stood about twenty Naruto's, all supporting each other as they held its legs fast. They let out a collective cry as it fell, diving out of the road as it hit the ground, many getting crushed under the massive legs and exploding into puffs of smoke.

'So that's how his ability works in battle is it? Not too bad I suppose.'

Turning her attention back to Lullaby, Erza flapped her polished wings as the monster lashed out with a massive arm, just barely missing her and turning the ground behind her into nothing but rubble. Natsu and Gray also dived out of harm's way as the arm swept around, trying to grab a hold of anyone.

"_**You pests are **_**really**_** starting to piss me off, ya know that?"**_

Not replying, the group simply began attacking again, any visible part of the massive wooden body targeted and slashed, stabbed, frozen or set on fire.

XxXxXxX

Down with Naruto, the ninja dashed around the legs of the demon, strategically tripping it up and cutting it down wherever possible. Large rocks also found them thrown into its legs, chunks of wood being ripped from the main trunk as the sharp edges cut deep. Naruto was also keeping a close eye on the town, desperately trying to guide the beast's footsteps away from the houses. Growling in frustration, Naruto watched as Lullaby lifted a massive leg clear over his head, its shadow hiding Naruto for a split second before passing on. It seemed to be turning around and was moving away from the town, back towards where Kageyama and Makarov had first spoken.

Hearing dual screams of fear though, Naruto frowned and dashed forward. Tree branches broke off as Naruto kicked from them, rapidly catching and passing the now descending limb overhead. Seeing Lucy and Levy, Naruto flickered into existence beside them, grabbing them around the waists before vanishing with them just before the foot stomped down on their previous position. Landing a safe distance away, Naruto placed them down gently and looked at each of them in the eyes.

"You ok?"

Seeing them nod, Naruto stood up. "Keep doing whatever you do then. We need all help we can to bring the thing down."

Turning, Naruto bent at the knees and then vanished in a flicker, a little whirl of leaves stirred up by his rapid departure. Holding a hand out to him, Levy lowered it as she saw him vanish into the distance. Turning to Lucy, she saw the girl equally shocked. Shaking it off, Levy stood. Now wasn't the time to worry about how close they were to death, Naruto and Erza needed their help! Shaking Lucy's shoulder, Levy managed to get her to stand.

"Come on, we need to finish these trap runes. Just a few more and they'll be complete."

"Y-yeah..."

Smiling, Levy then knelt down and continued her writing onto the ground, bright scribes lighting up as her pen dashed across the earth.

XxXxXxX

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**"

Unleashing a pair of powerful flames into the side of Lullaby, Natsu grinned as he saw large scar marks appear in the flesh of the beast.

"Ha! You're pretty pathetic, you can't even catch a Fairy!"

"_**Oooh, when I get my hands on you I'll squeeze you so hard your head'll pop like a grape!"**_

Dancing nimbly out of harm's way, Natsu cackled gleefully and spun around, pulling his pants down and mooning the monster. "Oh yeah, how you like that? Two full moons' tonight and one is especially prepared for you!"

"_**RAHHH!"**_

Crying out in anger, Lullaby swept its hands through the trees, flattening massive parts of the forest as it desperately tried to squash the maddening child. Dodging, Natsu landed on the giant's arm and began charging up it, rapidly drawing near to its furious face.

"**Fire Dragon's Claw!**"

Unleashing a devastating fire fuelled kick into Lullaby's face, Natsu laughed out loud as it fell backwards, once again having its feet snared by Naruto.

"_**Damn you!"**_

"**Ice Make: Geyser!**"

Suddenly, a towering pillar of ice shot up from the ground behind Lullaby, catching it in the back of the chest and piercing it right through, the top of it poking out the left hand side of its torso. Howling out in pain, Lullaby's massive weight forced it down onto the spike, impaling itself on to the ground. Looking up in total fury, the beast reached a shaky hand up to grab the icicle.

_**"Y-you filthy little maggot! How am I meant to play my beautiful tune now?"**_

Crying out in rage, it snapped off the top half of the ice spike and screamed as it pulled itself from its anchor, its wooden body shrieking as it rubbed against the ice. Rising to its feet, it leaned back its head and took a breath.

"_**I WILL NOT BE BEATEN BY A HANDFUL OF WRETCHED HUMANS! DIE!"**_

Screaming, it unleashed a raging torrent of fire into the forest around, aiming mostly at the innocent people trying to escape.

"**Ice Make: Shield!**"

Flashing in front of the fleeing crowd, Gray smashed his hand together to produce an astounding wall of ice, completely protecting everyone from the vicious flames. Letting out a slightly delirious laugh, Lullaby turned and kicked over a mountain, all three eyes flicking around as it looked for its next prey. What it didn't expect though was for all its flames to suddenly start spiralling away over towards Natsu as the boy inhaled.

Down below, Naruto also watched on in shock, his eyes wide open as the boy actually ate the flames. 'Oi, oi, oi, what the hell is going on here? He eats flames too?'

After managing to swallow the entire raging inferno, Natsu looked up at Lullaby, wiping his mouth. "Thanks for the meal, those flames were delicious! Ha-ha, now I'm really fired up!"

_**"Y – you're a monster!"**_

Seemingly taking offence, Natsu raised a fist and shouted back. "How the hell can I be a monster with you standing right there? Perspective much?"

He then had to dodge as Lullaby launched a massive fist into the hill he was standing on, destroying it completely. Landing on its arm, Natsu began running up it again, ready for another attack.

"_**Oh no you don't!"**_

Swinging in with its other arm, Lullaby slapped its hand against its arm in a desperate attempt to crush the teen. The move backfired though as Natsu just swapped limbs, now dashing up his other arm.

"Requip! **Armour of the Black Wings!**"

Flying in for support, Erza swapped her Heaven's Wheel outfit for a much sleeker one. A pair of leathery black wings now protruded from her shoulder blades, accompanied by dual sets of long, black shoulder armour sticking out from her shoulders by atleast a foot. Her chest was covered by a dark metal bra, shape hugging strips of spiked metal sliding down her sides to connect with the large, matching hip protectors. A simple, black bikini bottom covered her modesty while thigh high, black boots protected her legs. A single, long sword was clasped in her right hand, both though covered in elbow length black gauntlets.

Shooting past Natsu, Erza cut deep into Lullaby's side with a single swing, the demon opening its mouth in a loud roar of pain. Turning back, she saw Natsu nearing the head and cried out at him.

"Natsu, now!"

"Got it Erza! **Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!**"

Igniting both hands, Natsu brought them together, generating a massive fire ball above his head, easily one and a half times bigger than his own body. Swinging forward with a scream of effort, he launched it at Lullaby, the beast shrieking as it felt the superheated ball slam into its chest, exploding on impact. Rocking backwards, Lullaby didn't even try fight the pull of gravity as it collapsed into the earth, destroying acres of trees in the process.

Laying still for a few moments, the demon finally let out a very agitated growl. _**"Oh, you worms have done it now. I'm not even going to eat you anymore, I'll simply wipe you from existence!"**_

Eyes wide, Natsu took a step back. "What does it take to put this guy away?"

Reaching out an enormous arm, Lullaby made to grab Natsu, when a tiny voice cried out and suddenly hundreds of glowing green words wrapped around its massive body, coiling also around the outstretched arm and slamming it back against its side.

"_**Wh – what is this?"**_

Watching all this, Naruto turned and saw Levy and Lucy where he had left them, cheering and hugging each other happily. Smiling, Naruto let his arms drop. Levy must have finished off her runes or whatever it was they were. Turning to look at the demon again, Naruto raised an eyebrow in respect. They may have just been glowing scribbles, but they sure were effective. Another idea began to worm its way into Naruto's head as he looked at the struggling leviathan. If that was possible with those weird words, did that mean it might be possible with seals? He had seen them dance around during a major sealing while with Ero-Sennin, so what's not to say that they couldn't wrap something like this up, then pull it into a scroll?

Pulling out a sheet of paper, Naruto bit his thumb and quickly wrote down his idea, not having a pen handy. Folding it away, Naruto tucked it back into his shirt, finger already done healing by that time.

Jumping up onto the beast, Naruto looked around and saw Erza alight opposite him, Natsu and Gray climbing up its side quickly.

"_**Get the hell off me you vermin!"**_

Ignoring the protests, Naruto looked at the gathering mages. "Well, that was good. How you eat fire Natsu?"

Raising his eyebrows, Natsu blinked. "You didn't know? I was taught this old magic by my father, Igneel. I'm a Dragon Slayer."

Nodding his head, Naruto sucked in his bottom lip. "That cool. I wanna eat fire too!"

Laughing, Natsu propped up both fists on his hips. "Ha! I'm the only one awesome enough to do that! Find your own food!"

That made Naruto remember his stomach and frowned as it let out a gurgle. He hadn't eaten anything today, save for breakfast and a few snack bars. Food was now high on his priority list. Feeling the ground beneath them move as Lullaby squirmed, Erza frowned.

"Alright, we must send this creature back into its flute form. One last combined attack should work."

Nodding, they lined up. Gray closed his eyes as he focused, Erza's sword began glowing black as energy charged through it, Natsu brought his arms back behind himself and Naruto created a clone, beginning to generate a massive blue sphere between the two of them. On an unspoken word, they all dashed forward and unleashed the power one last time into the howling demon.

"**Ice Make: Saucer!**"

"**HrrrrAHHHH!"**

"**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**"

"**Odama Rasengan (Big Ball Spiralling Sphere)!**"

As the attacks connected, the beast went up in a horrific scream, its voice shattering as its body dematerialised, exploding into a million brilliantly glinting pieces, the air filling with their soft beauty.

Discretely creating a clone, Naruto made sure that no one noticed as a small rat ran away. It sniffed around, running from tree remains, to chunky unearthed rock as it searched. After a few minutes, it came upon a simple, skull shaped flute with three eyes. Looking around, it made sure no one was watching and taking it in its powerful jaws, bit clean through the wood. A soft sigh drifted into the air as the deed was done. Watching it for a few moments longer, the rat nodded satisfactorily and in a pop, disappeared.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – well, I thought there would be a good place to stop. I was planning to write more, but then that just makes for a slightly too big of a chapter._

_Unfortunately people, it seems like life is starting to catch up to me too. I'll keep trying to get the chapters out consistently, but no promises._

_Hope the fight scene was everything epic you hoped for and more._

_Thanks to Vandenbz and Wyrd Darcnyzz for the awesome beta._

_Lanky Nathan_

_P.S. I rewrote the last scene of the last chapter for anyone who cares._


	8. Chapter 8

**Day eight. Further progress has been made! Life is good! I wouldn't have ever thought of these techniques if I hadn't come here. Floating is getting much easier. I'll be running with the wind soon enough!**

**Day eight, out.**

XxXxXxX

"OH YEAH, HOW YOU LIKE THAT? _That's_ what a Fairy Tail mage is all about!"

Crowing over his team's victory, Makarov ran forward to Erza, Gray and Natsu, congratulating them on a job well done. Levy and Lucy also came running over from their previous position, joining in with the small celebration. Naruto however stood back, letting them have their moment. A great deal of him just wanted to jump into the middle of the fray and begin screaming like Natsu, but he restrained himself. That was what he would have done when he was younger, but he had matured since then. The strange presence he could sense somewhere nearby also had him a little on edge. It was probably just small amounts of leftover energy from Lullaby though so he ignored it.

"Naruto! What are you doing standing over there? You were just as much a part of this win as these guys."

Seeing Makarov pointing at him, Naruto raised a hand to his head, grinning sheepishly. "Awww, it was nothing, dattebayo."

Nevertheless though, he found himself walking over to the group. Natsu instantly jumped onto him, legs wrapped around Naruto's shoulders as he cried out the heavens.

'Bah, to hell with maturity, that's for old people.'

Shouting out with Natsu, Naruto started jumping around, both boys ecstatic with the victory. Watching the two run around in circles, Makarov chuckled. Walking up beside Erza, he gave her a nudge. "So, would you think Naruto would be a good addition to the guild?"

The woman's eyes instantly darkened. "I personally would protest that. He openly admitted to killing the enemy."

Raising an eyebrow, Makarov looked over at Naruto, the boy now taking Natsu for a ride through the trees. "Someone so young to have taken a life? It hasn't seemed to impact on him as much as it could have though. He seems stable enough."

Shaking her head, Erza pushed her case. "But that goes against everything we stand for. No death, no matter what."

Shrugging, Makarov didn't answer for a little bit. He had noticed the animosity between his requip queen and the new blond since he first saw them in Clover. Looking up, Makarov decided to push things along to a conclusion. "Well, perhaps you could speak with him for me? I trust you'll interview him in an unbiased manner?"

Gritting her teeth, Erza calmed herself. She couldn't refuse a request like this. "Yes, Master. I shall speak with him immediately."

Chuckling to himself, Makarov watched as Erza walked off, clothes glowing back to normal as she neared the boys.

XxXxXxX

Naruto watched as Erza neared them from the corner of his eye. He had watched her and the guild master's discussion and it seemed the old man had decided to resolve the dispute now.

"Naruto, come with me if you please."

Looking down from his head, Natsu pouted and shook his head. "Nah, Erza, why does he have to leave now? It was just getting fun!"

Something glinted angrily in Erza's eye as her voice dropped. "PLEASE."

Eeping worriedly, Natsu leapt from Naruto's shoulders and ran off, not wanting to start something he couldn't finish. Brushing past Naruto, Erza walked off into the trees behind him. Shrugging, Naruto raised his hands to clasp behind his head casually, following the red head. After a short walk, Erza turned around and looked into Naruto's eyes.

"Alright, I will be blunt about this. Master Makarov wants to ask you to join the guild. I personally oppose this but as requested, I will conduct the interview. Naruto, would you be interested in joining?"

Pausing, Naruto had a quick think. Something like this may have been an instant choice to anyone from Fiore, but Naruto still wanted to get home. Hell, he wasn't planning to stay more than a few days there. Such an offer though was a prestigious thing. Slightly closing one eye, Naruto bit his tongue.

"I am interested, but I can't say yes or no now. It a big choice."

Nodding, the answer seemed to sate Erza for the moment. "That is fine. I will tell you the rules now though, in case you decide to. Fairy Tail is a guild of the light, a guild a part of the guild masters league. We pride ourselves in upholding the law and treating everyone fairly. Once affiliated with us, you cannot join any other guild unless you quit or are expelled."

Narrowing her eyes, Erza's glare deepened. "Now listen closely to this part. We have a strict 'no death' policy. We do not kill, under any circumstances. Would you be able to conform to this?"

Bright blue eyes seemed to peer into her soul as Erza glared, seemingly searching for something. After a moment, Naruto dropped his arms. "You had a hard upbringing, didn't you?"

Cursing herself for flinching, Erza steadied herself. "That has nothing to do with this. Don't avoid my question."

Naruto smiled. "But it answers mine. I wondered why you dislike me so. You seem stable now, but you are like me. You had a hard life."

Frowning, Erza bared her teeth. "So what if I did? You couldn't understand so stop asking. I wouldn't tell someone I just met that either."

Shaking his head, Naruto sat down on a rock behind him in a disarming gesture. "You be surprised what I understand. I know pain. Loneliness. Hunger. Abuse. Did you go through that?"

Unbidden memories of Erza's childhood flashed through her mind as Naruto spoke, the pain of losing her eye and friends to her tormentors, the loneliness of solitary confinement for trying to break out of the slave tower, the hunger from tiny meals for days on end and the abuse inflicted by the accursed whips the guards had to make them work faster. Shaking her head, Erza took a breath.

"That is in the past. I have grown up with that and have learnt to ignore it."

Smiling again, Naruto sighed. "That not very healthy. I wonder though... have you had to kill too?"

Erza's minute eye twitch was enough of a giveaway to Naruto. "You have, haven't you?"

Snarling, Erza glared at Naruto. "No, they died because of the other prisoners. I just opened up a path."

"So you were a slave?"

Faltering, Erza quickly snapped her mouth shut. Glaring at the boy, she stood up straight again. For how dumb he acted, he was very perceptive on some things.

Choosing to ignore the hostile movement, Naruto leant back, answering Erza's unasked questions. "I had hard life. Your eyes are a bit like mine so that how I can tell. I had no friends, family or anything as I grew up. Everyone hated me for something I never did. I was completely alone and had to learn fast. I was pickpocket and thief after I was kicked out of orphanage. No one helped me if I hurt. I had no one. You had friends though?"

"I..."

Hearing the brief glimpse into Naruto's past, Erza found herself accepting that Naruto may have been able understood some of her pain. Stealing herself, Erza regained her composure.

"I had good friends, but they are safe now."

Smiling, Naruto nodded. "You would die for them? You killed for them too."

Snarling again, Erza bared her teeth. "I did not kill anyone."

It seemed that was a very sensitive spot for the red head. Trying to approach the topic from another route, Naruto started speaking softly. "Why do you hate those who kill then?"

Snorting, Erza crossed her arms. "They are animals. Anyone who takes another's life is scum."

Nodding, Naruto probed in. "Sort of like guards?"

Growling at the memory, Erza nodded. "Exactly like the guards. Those wretched beings don't even deserve the title of human."

Nodding again, Naruto pressed on. "So, because I kill, I like guards?"

Pausing, Erza contemplated the new angle on things. She had never really considered that before, merely grouping killers together unconsciously. "Well... no, but it's still not right."

Naruto tipped his head to the side. "But I did it for my friends. I'd rather die, or the bad guy die, rather than my friends. Would you die for Natsu, Gray or anyone else?"

Scoffing, Erza turned an insulted eye to the blond. "What do you think I am? Of course! I would die for any of them in an instant."

"So if it a choice between them or bad guy, who you kill?"

Pausing, Erza frowned. "Neither."

Leaning in, Naruto pressed gently. "But if Natsu was about to die, what then?"

Shaking her head, Erza refused to give up. "I won't have you try and talk me into killing someone! It is wrong!"

Smiling gently, Naruto shook his head. "No, that not what I saying. I saying, you not a monster for protecting your friends from evil. I not a monster, and I in business where death is almost completely guarantee! Killing is NEVER fun, you should be scared if it is. But, if it for your friends with no other way, it not bad."

Falling silent, Naruto watched as Erza processed the information. She opened her mouth a few times to say something, but found the words lacking. Seeing her need time, Naruto stood and stretched. "I let you think for a bit. But just know, killing to protect your family does not make you scum."

Turning and walking out, Naruto left Erza to consider what was said.

XxXxXxX

Stepping out into the open area, Naruto looked down and saw Makarov looking up at him, a small smile on his face. "You and Erza seem to have cleared things up?"

Naruto shrugged noncommittally. "We spoke."

Nodding, Makarov started speaking. "Well good. I'll tell you a little secret if you can keep one?"

Looking down, Naruto nodded once. If there was anyone who could, it was definitely himself. "Erza had a hard life. When she came to the guild, she was quiet and reclusive. No one knew a thing about her until... Gray I think it was... spoke with her and got her to open up. She grew a great deal more after that, but I could tell that things had happened that she still hadn't spoken to anyone of. I tried to coerce her to telling me, but I lacked a certain finesse on the topic someone in her position would have had. She continued to bottle up the deepest emotions and I worried about how they would affect her."

Closing an eye, Makarov looked up at a frowning Naruto. "I knew you had to have atleast indirectly killed someone before. Reflexes like what you displayed when you first woke up weren't something someone can gain without having had their life in danger multiple times. I also saw that strange knife you pulled from your pocket when Erza first made to attack you after you hurt Lucy."

Blushing, Naruto scratched a cheek.

"I don't blame you for that. What I did see though was how you held the knife. It wasn't out for show; it was hidden behind your leg, ready to be brought through for a surprise, debilitating attack, was it not?"

Frowning, Naruto's respect grew for the small, unassuming man. To have noticed all this without having been exposed to it before took someone of great skill.

"I myself haven't had to kill anyone, which is one of the reasons Erza came to Fairy Tail. It is a rule that the members themselves created over time, mostly with people in Erza's position coming in to escape death. I can understand your perspective however, and only someone like yourself could have spoken to Erza like that. So for your help there, I thank you."

Naruto smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I just had good teacher. I simply told Erza what he told me."

Smiling, Makarov motioned for Naruto to follow him back over to the group. "Well then, your teacher must have been very wise to have you grow up so well. You were lucky."

Smiling a little wider, Naruto nodded. "Sure was."

Reaching the group, they noticed Levy and Lucy staring at something in shock while Gray just shook his head and Natsu laughed out loud. Natsu laughing like that never meant anything good so Makarov stepped forward.

"Natsu! What have you done now?"

Pointing, the boy kept laughing. "Me? You mean us! We destroyed the guild masters meeting hall!"

"WHAT?"

Looking past him, Makarov saw a gaping hole in the ground that was surrounded by rubble, right where the building used to stand. "N-n-no, not again!"

Fading into shock, Makarov seemed to pass out on his feet, unable to believe that his kids had destroyed yet another building. Angry shouts sounded out as the villagers began returning, and upon seeing the lack of the hall, turned their anger towards the Fairy Tail members.

"Someone capture them! They need to pay for this!"

"Don't let them escape!"

Seeing the group advance, Naruto backed up cautiously while Erza dashed past him and picked up Makarov. "Everyone! Tactical retreat!"

"YES, SIR!"

Sprinting around the angry group, the Fairy Tail mages avoided the grasping hands and charged off towards the train tracks. Turning, Natsu called out over his shoulder as he ran, "You guys can take care of Kageyama! Catch ya later!"

XxXxXxX

Retracing their steps, the mages took to casually walking the train tracks, their SE vehicle trashed. Makarov had awakened from his stupor and though he grumbled a bit after, he was still proud of his ragtag group. Naruto took to walking towards the back of the group, looking up into the morning sky as the first rays peeked over the horizon.

Sighing, Naruto let his thoughts wander as he walked, letting the chatter around him become background noise. Now that that horrible mess with Lullaby really was over, Naruto had to think about getting home somehow. He guessed the key to his return was to be found in where he arrived. Sure, it'd be easy if Kakashi was here, he could just send him back, but the man hadn't appeared for some reason. Closing an eye in thought, Naruto wondered about that invisible spot where Kakashi's chakra was collected. If he could somehow open it, it was almost a given that he'd be able to get home by following the trail. Perhaps reverse engineering it with seals might work? It was worth a shot, even if it'd take a while.

Naruto was pulled from his thoughts as Levy and Lucy dropped back beside him, neither talking but looking like they wanted to. Smiling in his all inclusive way, Naruto raised his hands behind his head. "Hey, so how are you?"

They both looked up shyly and nodded before turning their gazes back to their feet. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked down at Levy. "What wrong?"

Eyes widening, Levy raised her hands and waved them around in front of her chest. "Nothing! No, nothing... the reason we came back here is to say thanks."

Chuckling, Naruto smiled. "That ok. I just did for you what I'd do for any of my friends."

Lucy looked up this time. "Well, we still thought we should say it anyway. You really did save our lives there."

Nodding once, Naruto shrugged. "Well, my pleasure. I happy you ok."

Naruto then found himself with a set of arms wrapped around his neck as the slender blue headed girl turned and wrapped him up in a warm hug, placing a kiss on his left cheek. "We're only ok because of you."

Letting go, Levy backed off from a slightly shocked Naruto as Lucy stepped in and wrapped her own arms around the boy. "Thank you."

Leaning forward, she then placed a soft kiss on Naruto's other cheek and turned, blushing violently as she let go. Naruto didn't move, his brain trying to work out what had just happened. His face started glowing when he finally registered the soft presses against his cheeks. A grin slid onto his face and his eyes grew a bit lidded as he nodded happily. "If this what I get when I save you, I hope I save you many more times!"

Both girls giggled and gave him one last thankful look before jogging back up to the front of the group. A soft weight alighted on Naruto's shoulder as they left and he turned, seeing Happy staring at him with wide eyes. The cat grinned and patted Naruto's head.

"They liiiiiiiike you..."

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "It a one off thing cat. I wouldn't complain if they did it again though."

Letting out a laugh, Happy rolled over onto his back. "Ha, I was wrong, you liiiiike them!"

Flicking the animal's nose, Naruto grinned lopsidedly. "Who wouldn't like some of that?"

Falling from the sturdy shoulder, Happy rubbed his nose. "Maybe I should get Natsu to come hug you then?"

Feeling a little grossed out, Naruto shook his head. "No, I ok. No need for man hugs."

Happy tilted his head in confusion. "I don't get it. I get hugs off Natsu all the time!"

Laughing, Naruto reached out and scruffed the cat's fur. "You cat though. That ok."

"Ah..."

Not quite understanding, Happy fell silent for a moment before a strong voice called out to him. "Happy could you leave us for a moment? I'd like to speak with Naruto alone briefly."

Seeing Erza, the cat nodded and floated up front, but not before turning and saying, "She liiiiiikes you!"

Dodging a half heartedly thrown rock, the cat laughed merrily and swooped away to land on Natsu's head. Smiling at the retreating cat, Erza smoothed her face as she began walking beside Naruto. It seemed like these last few moments had been good for confessions. They didn't look at each other, Erza trying to find the words while Naruto just waited patiently. It took a moment though but Erza eventually broke the silence.

"Thank you."

Naruto nodded in her direction. "You welcome."

They fell silent for another few moments before Erza looked at the blond. "Where did you come up with that view on death? Did you work it out?"

Shaking his head, Naruto smiled. "No, that was my teacher. He was a pervy old thing, but a very good ninja. I went on a long trip with him and during that time, he explain killing to me. I only kill a few people, but he killed hundreds, maybe even thousands in great ninja war. Anyone who kills needs to know that they are not monster for doing what they have to."

Erza's eyes widened at this. "War? I don't think we have ever even had a real war here. Plenty of battles, but nothing major like that."

Naruto smiled grimly. "You never seen war in this country, ever? Then I hope you never do. I haven't seen it, but I see enough to know it not nice. I hope you never have to kill either... but you already have, haven't you."

It was a statement more than a question. Erza dropped her head as her fringe covered her eyes. She sighed and a barely audible answer reached his ears as she finally confessed. "Yes."

Not saying anything, Naruto realised it was taking a lot for Erza to say even that so waited.

"I... when we broke out of that accursed tower, that was the first time I used my magic abilities. I had an old friend in there who was a lot like a father to me. He... he was killed at the beginning of the riot. I telekinetically lifted a sword and thrust it through the chest of the guard before I even knew what happened. A little later after that, I saw one of my young friends have his entire jaw blown off by a mage there. I don't know what happened, but the mage was dead soon after. Then after that... it just gets blurry. All I can remember is blood, pain, suffering and death."

Erza took a moment and collected herself. "When I escaped, I couldn't understand why I turned into someone similar to the guards and killed other people. I reached the mainland but no one could understand what I went through and no one could help me through it. I guess this is when I bottled everything up."

Finally turning and looking at Naruto, she had a soft smile on her face. "Thank you for clearing that up for me. I still stand by my 'no killing' rule, but atleast I can somewhat see your perspective on things now."

Reaching out, Naruto slung a single arm around Erza and pulled her in for a light hug. "It ok. I'm just happy I could help."

Leaning in briefly, Erza nodded and pulled away. "I wish no one would ever kill, but I suppose it's unavoidable sometimes."

Naruto nodded, smiling gently. "Yep. You just keep your rule though because that is who you are now."

Smiling, Erza nodded. "Indeed."

XxXxXxX

"Oi, where's that windy bastard?"

Looking around, Natsu squinted as he tried to spot Erigor. "He was right here! I swear!"

Looking around, Erza frowned. "Did you tie him up Natsu?"

Looking back, the boy cocked an eyebrow. "With what?"

Growling, Erza reached out and slapped the back of his head. "That's why he's not here! He must have woken up and escaped! Stupid boy!"

Pouting, Natsu rubbed his spot. "But I didn't have anything to tie him up with!"

Scowling, Erza began ranting at him again. Naruto however looked around suspiciously. So that must have been what was following them since Clover. Walking over to Makarov, Naruto stretched and looked down at him. "I just gonna go for a walk, clear my thoughts."

"Hmm? Whatever. I'm not your master. Do what you want."

Grinning, Naruto nodded. Turning, he jumped from the tracks, landing on a tall rock spur fifty feet away. Touching down on it, he flashed to the next one and quickly disappeared. Lucy and Levy noticed his departure and looked at Makarov.

"Where is he going?"

The small man shrugged. "He went to clear his head or something. I don't really care, he's not a part of the guild."

Looking out over the spurs, the girls frowned but didn't push it any further.

XxXxXxX

Landing on a large flat plateau, Naruto turned and looked back behind him. "You can come out now. I know you're there."

Hearing a gravely chuckle, Naruto watched as Erigor seemingly flickered into the air above him. The man was covered in a great many burn marks, and where there wasn't burns, there were small cuts and grazes, all crusted over after his fight with Natsu. "Well now, that's a bit of a surprise. I didn't realise you could sense people."

Naruto shrugged, not once letting his eyes off him. "I have a few tricks. What do you want and why are you following us?"

Erigor snorted and spat a filthy wad of something off to the side. "Bah, what would I want with some weak willed guild like them? Pathetic bunch. What I was following was YOU. After that first hit you landed on me, I though it only fair if I repay you first before going back for that flame kid!"

Naruto just glared back up at him. "Say I let you vent your anger on me. Would you let Natsu go?"

Throwing his head back, Erigor let out a loud laugh. "Let him go? Are you completely stupid? Hell no! After I kill you, I'll make sure to kill him next!"

Clenching his fists, Naruto frowned. "So you won't let Natsu go for nothing?"

Leering down at the blond, Erigor shook his head. "Nope, never. Once I have someone in my sights, I _will_ kill them, one way or another."

"And I'm first?"

Pulling his giant scythe out in front of him, a maniacal shine lit up his eyes. "Yup. And damn am I gonna enjoy this!"

Preparing to attack, he was startled by Naruto holding out a hand. "Do you seriously think you can beat me as you are? I far stronger than Natsu."

Growling, the former guild master glared at him. "Of course! And what the hell are you on about, 'stronger than flame-retard'? I watched you fight Lullaby! You did nothing but trip it over!"

Lowering his arm, Naruto shook his head. "That was their fight. Erza wanted to lead with Gray and Natsu, so I let them. You fight me now though..." Naruto trailed off as a blue tinge began to surround his body. "I will not hold back."

"Big words for the backup team. You're as useless as those two girls!"

Glaring at the depraved man, Naruto clenched his teeth. "They were a big help in beating Lullaby. You just can't see practical use of something like that."

Gripping his scythe, Erigor grinned. "That's because there IS no need for weaklings like that! Now DIE!"

Swinging his massive scythe, Erigor cackled loudly as a nearly invisible line of air shot down towards Naruto, chopping the blond as well as the rock he was standing on clean in half. The laughter stopped though when a puff went off and a diced rock lay in Naruto's place.

"I give you one more chance. Stop, or I stop you."

Spinning around, Erigor growled. "You don't get it do you? I won't ever stop! Not ever!"

Clenching, Erigor was bathed in the purple light of his magic as he curled up. "**Storm Mail!**"

Naruto watched on as a gust of wind rapidly picked up around him, all of it spiralling towards Erigor as he disappeared inside a whirling mass of air. He laughed from inside his cocoon as he saw Naruto looking up. "You scared brat? This is the ultimate wind defence! Nothing can break through! **Storm Shred!**"

Holding out his hands, a purple circle appeared before him before thousands of tiny wind blades shot out towards Naruto at high speed. Watching them come in almost in slow motion, Naruto merely stepped around them like they were floating to the ground. Erigor's continuous laugher filled his ears as he easily avoided the blades, the fact Naruto hadn't been cut to shreds not occurring to the man. Moving through the attack, Naruto decided enough was enough and jumped.

Flickering into existence beside Erigor, the mage didn't even notice the rapid movement as a thunderous punch exploded into his face, rocketing him down to crunch deep into one of the rocky spurs, the hard granite giving way under the force of his body. Coughing loudly, blood gushed from his mouth as several broken ribs punctured his lungs, the entire right hand side of his face ballooning out instantly from the multiple fractures.

The **Storm Mail** dissipated as he lost control, the howling winds fizzling out to nothing in a second. Painfully looking up through his one unswollen eye, Erigor looked up at Naruto as he landed on a spur before him, a mixture of confusion and fear on his face. Spitting out a tooth, the mage glared at the blond. "Wh – What the hell was that? How did you break through my defence? And where did this strength come from?"

Naruto looked at his arm as he casually raised it. The dark mage's eyes widened as a small tornado sprung to life around it, Naruto carelessly inspecting it like he would his fingernails. "I copied your barrier back in Oshibana. I just modify it. Thanks for the idea. I guess a stronger wind can break weaker wind. As for my strength, I already told you I stronger than Natsu. Ninja don't reveal personal secrets if not needed. Sometimes, not even then."

Erigor's growled as he saw the replica. "How did you do that? Your magic is self replication!"

Cutting off the flow, Naruto looked at him. "Who told you that?"

Groaning in pain, Erigor fought off the urge to pass out and pulled himself from the rock. Climbing up, he panted as blood filled his lungs. Reaching the top, he held himself up by his scythe and glared at the blond. Spitting out more blood, he coughed. "I saw you with my own eyes! No one needed to tell me anything."

Naruto nodded. "That was one ability yes. But I not mage, I ninja. I can do far more than just that."

"Impossible."

Naruto shrugged. "Believe what you want."

Growing frustrated with the pointless chit chat, Erigor tried to reactivate **Storm Mail** but ended up wincing at the strain it put on his body. Hearing Naruto sigh, the mage scowled.

"So, do you want to keep going? You know I beat you."

Fury rising in his chest at being spoken down to by this whelp of a child, Erigor lost it. Completely ignoring his pain, he forced his **Storm Mail **to life around him in a blaze of rage. "SHUT THE HELL UP YOU PATHETIC DOG OF FAIRY TAIL! I WILL NEVER STOP, AND I WILL KILL YOU, EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!"

Throwing his hands out before him, he extended his index and middle fingers before crossing them before him in the shape of an 'X'.

"**GREEN SPEED!**"

Instantly, a giant barrelling wind storm roared its way towards Naruto, shredding up rocks for hundreds of meters around due to the strength of the gale. Sighing, Naruto shook his head. 'I gave you your chances. Time for you to sleep with them.'

Vanishing from sight, Naruto appeared behind Erigor with a kunai drawn. "May your soul rest in peace."

"Huh?"

Before the man could even twitch, the kunai severed his spinal cord. Blood spurted from the wound and Erigor slumped to the ground, dead before he hit. His powerful winds died away rapidly, the wide canyon moaning as the winds coursed through them as if they knew a life had just been taken. Looking down at the man, Naruto set his lips in a firm line. Leaning down, he closed the man's eyelids and sighed. Despite having had that conversation with Erza barely half an hour ago, Naruto still closed his own eyes and willed the guilty feeling away. Standing, Naruto took a deep breath, held, and then slowly exhaled as he thought of his old Sennin teacher.

'How did you deal with so many deaths under your belt? If for nothing else but to stop this horrible feeling, I _will_ make your dream a reality.'

Turning, Naruto began digging into the hard rock behind him barehanded. The ground cut into his hands but he ignored it. Taking his time, Naruto dug a hole big enough for Erigor. Placing the body inside, he covered the mound and patted it down. Taking the lone scythe, he stuck it into the head of the grave handle down, the weapon a fitting tombstone for the man.

Turning, Naruto cast one last look at the former mage, before closing his eyes and jumping away.

XxXxXxX

Catching up to the group, Naruto landed lightly and ran into the midst of them. The little old man with them looked up at his arrival and grinned. "Oh, Naruto! Did you do what you wanted to?"

Glancing back at the mage, Naruto nodded. "I did what I had to."

The unspoken message ran clear between the two but everyone else was blissfully unaware. Jumping to his side, Natsu tackled him. "So where'd ya go? Why didn't ya say? Me 'n' Happy could have come!"

Grabbing Natsu in a headlock, Naruto proceeded to give him a noogie. "You wanna come? You can't even handle this!"

Sticking a foot on Naruto's back, Natsu kicked himself free, fists blazing. "I can handle anything you can throw at me! Try handle my flames instead!"

Diving at Naruto, the blond laughed and jumped away, landing in front of the group, running a short distance before spinning and engaging Natsu in a fierce fist fight. Lucy sighed as she watched them spar, well tired of the walk and just wanting home. "Honestly, how can they have such energy? We haven't eaten in a whole day, slept in two, and bathed in like three!"

Slumping dramatically to the ground, she began crying fake tears. "Won't someone carry me?"

Laughing, Levy pulled her to her feet and helped her along. "Just think, the longer it is before you rest, the more you'll appreciate it when you actually get it! Besides, we're nearly at Oshibana. We can catch the train home from there."

Crying out happily, Lucy raised a fist and began imagining all the delicious things awaiting them at the guild and the easy trip home.

XxXxXxX

"Awww I forgot stupid Eisenwald destroyed the train station! Damn them all! Is it too much to just ask for _one_ thing to go right for me?"

Slumping to the ground in front of the fenced off building, Levy patted Lucy's shoulder as the girl cried in frustration. Hearing a roar behind them though, the girls turned to see Erza skid up in another SE vehicle, this one probably twice as long as the last.

"ERZA I LOVE YOU!"

As the blond girl flung herself forward to capture the uncomfortable red head in a tight hug, Gray walked around the SE, inspecting the quality and losing clothing pieces along the way. Finishing the rounds, he stood back in nothing but his boxers and whistled. "Wow Erza, this is a really recent model. Where did you grab this from?"

Managing to disentangle herself from the firmly attached girl, Erza pointed down the road at a small shop. "I hired it from there. I even managed to seal a discount with the manager too."

"Ah. That explains it then."

Shrugging, Gray avoided all thoughts of Erza's usually violent persuasion techniques and climbed into the cabin, now completely naked. Lucy and Levy quickly joined him. The following shriek deafened everyone within hearing range as Gray was booted out to collect his clothing. Once decent, he climbed back inside to find Lucy lying down with her head in Levy's lap, easily making herself comfortable. Catching a flash of white and pink heart underwear as she lifted her legs onto the seat, Gray looked away with a blush. "Lucy, perhaps you shouldn't put your legs up on the seat like that."

Growling, Lucy stuffed her hands down to her skirt and managed to partially obscure the view. "Normally I'd thump you for that but I'm just too _tired_. I don't care, have your look, let me sleep."

Checking again, Gray's blush deepened as he saw no real improvement in the problem. "And the girl gets all high and mighty when she can see my boxers."

Looking back out the window, he startled as Naruto's face leaned in. Seeing where he was looking, Gray pushed him out. "Have you no shame?"

Pushing his head back in, Naruto peeked through Gray's fingers splayed across his face. "What you talking about? She said it's fine this once so how could I say no?"

Scowling at the blatant forwardness, Gray looked over at Lucy as she ignored Naruto getting a clean eyeful. "Come on you lazy girl, cover up!"

Rolling over, Lucy mumbled something like, "Shut up, sleeping."

"Awww."

Seeing the view cut off, Naruto let his head be pushed from the wagon and leant back. He looked down and saw Makarov standing beside him. Grinning, Naruto's eyes sparkled. "Nice view."

Nodding, Makarov gave him a thumbs up. "Good show my boy. I only wish I could have seen. Now, care to help an old man through the door?"

Laughing, Naruto opened it wide and bowed as the master literally climbed inside. Looking over, Naruto finally saw Natsu standing back, staring at the horrible contraption as he slowly turned green. Looking up at Erza, the girl sighed.

"Just throw him in. It makes things a hundred times easier."

Shrugging, Naruto walked over, picked the boy up and threw him head first onto the floor. Closing the door, he smiled up at Erza. "All done."

Raising an eyebrow, Erza glanced back. "You're not getting in?"

"Nope."

Jumping, Naruto landed on the roof. "Getting on."

Rolling her eyes, the S Rank mage slowly started pumping some juice into the engine and pulled out towards home.

XxXxXxX

The trip home was fairly uneventful, except for that one time Naruto fell asleep on the roof and fell off. Erza's driving was also a great deal calmer than it had been on the way out to Clover too. Despite still being low on power, she refused to let anyone else drive but was a great deal more careful about it. It took a few hours but eventually, they reached Magnolia and pulled up outside the gates of Fairy Tail. Looking out the windows, everyone gushed happily at seeing the familiar sight, all very ready for food and sleep. As they were all climbing out, Mira and a couple of the other guild members came out to meet them.

"Master! It's so good to see you all back here safe and sound. I trust it wasn't too much trouble?"

Jumping down from the driver's seat, Erza landed lightly before the cheerful woman and smiled. "No, it wasn't too much of a hassle. Lullaby was defeated and the Guild Masters are all safe. There was a little collateral damage, but nothing extensive."

Sighing, Mira shook her head. "Like always I suppose. And what with you, Natsu and Gray together, I'm actually relieved there wasn't more damage."

Lifting a very sick Natsu out of the car, Lucy looked over. "You heard what was destroyed?"

Nodding, Mira put a hand on her cheek. "Oh, this and that. Something about a train station destroyed, an SE vehicle wrecked, the guild masters hall damaged, just the usual."

Sliding his shirt off, Gray shook his head. "Not damaged, completely gone. Nothing was left."

Blinking a few times, Mira processed the information and just smiled again. "Oh well, I guess it couldn't have been avoided."

Sliding the boy's feet to the ground, Lucy looked over at Mira suspiciously. "You seem to be taking this very well."

The barmaid didn't reply and just walked forward, making to help out with Natsu but stopped dead when a wave of B.O. hit her. Pinching her nose, the white haired girl recoiled. "Pong! How long has it been since any of you have had a shower?"

A pair of filthy arms reached around her waist from behind, lifting her off the ground with a squeal. "Oh, about a day or two, supplemented by a lot of running and sweating. Miss us, Mira-chan?"

"Naruto! Not again!"

Squirming around as the blond laughed, his captive only succeeded in rubbing more dirt and gunk into her clean clothes. Finally putting her down, Naruto jumped back and avoided the swipe. "I take that as yes?"

Clicking her tongue, Mira held her arms out as she looked at herself in resignation. "Honestly Naruto, I hope this doesn't become a normal thing. This is really... wait, you can understand me! How?"

Chuckling, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It still not perfect yet. I just make lots of clone and learn from them. I left a few in each city to learn."

Mouth opening slightly in surprise, Mira found herself nodding. "So that must have been how Naruko-chan picked up everything so quickly! I thought she was just _really_ talkative!"

"Who?"

Seeing a blond wander out with a sultry twist in her hips, Naruto slapped his face. "Oh, her. I forget."

Bowing forward, the clone gave Naruto a fine view down her top and winked at him, blowing him a kiss. Makarov jumped up beside Naruto, love hearts floating from his eyes as he inspected the sight. "What a beauty! Maybe she could be a cover girl for our guild?"

Mira looked down at her fondly and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Naruko-chan here proved to be exceptionally popular with the boys. Business has doubled these last two days!"

Nodding, Naruto let out a sigh. "I know, I create her like that. Anyway, I gotta dispel her now. Someone catch me please."

Walking over curiously, Levy rested a hand on his shoulder. "Why, what's wrong?"

Grimacing, Naruto pointed at the clone. "She not dispel for so long, I get memory backlash. It hurt like bitch and I get knocked out for a bit."

Sighing, he crossed his fingers. "See you on other side."

Before anyone could say anything, Naruto popped his clone. Reeling backwards like he had just collected a sledgehammer to the forehead, Naruto's eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out, crushing an ill prepared Levy under him with a cry.

XxXxXxX

Groaning, Naruto rolled over and held his head. "Ohhh daaaamn... someone _please_ get me a drink."

"Right away!"

Groaning again, Naruto struggled to open his eyes as a cup was placed to his lips. "Here, drink."

"Thanks." Lifting his head up, Naruto sipped the cool water and sighed as it ran down his throat. That had been a long time coming. Pulling himself up into a sitting position, Naruto rubbed his neck as the headache began to ease. As the pain cleared, a number of fresh memories sprung forward. The clearest of the recollections seemed to be the incredible infatuation most of the males and a few of the females seemed to have with his chest and hips. Naruto actually had trouble remembering most everyone's eyes. He also blushed when he remembered that a buxom brunette glomped him from behind, grabbing a handful of his chest and commenting on them in awe. Shaking his head, Naruto stored that memory away for a later date. It was definitely a keeper.

Opening his eye, Naruto saw Mira backing away. "You ok now?"

Nodding, Naruto leant on his knees and took the cup from the girl. Finishing off what was left, he let out a gasp and smacked his lips. Looking around, Naruto noticed this room was a little different to what he had seen before. It was small, tidy and relatively sparse with pale white walls, the only real thing of interest being a desk in the middle of the room. Noticing his look, Mira explained. "This is Master's office. We only let trusted people rest in here. Erza convinced us you would be ok and brought you in here herself."

Blinking, Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Erza did?"

Mirajane nodded happily. "I don't quite know what it was you did, but she seems to have taken a bit of a liking to you. You also seemed to have made a bit of an impression on Lucy and Levy too!"

Giggling, Mira sent him a wink as his eyes widened. "I better be careful or else you might charm me too!"

A blush rose to Naruto's cheeks as he processed the information. "Uh, I didn't mean to... but really?"

Not answering, Mira placed her hands behind her back and gently swayed back and forth as she looked up in thought. "Really what? Impressed the girls? Or charm me?"

Stuttering, Naruto found himself at a rare loss for words. Crinkling her nose, Mira laughed at his shock and reached out, flicking his forehead. "I'm just teasing. Come on, you seem fine now, let's go get you some food."

XxXxXxX

Walking in through the door to the mess hall, Naruto found the guild members all shouting loudly and conversing amongst each other in their own unique way. Turning, he headed for a table closet to the bar before a deep voice called out.

"Naruto! It is good to have you back!"

"Hello?"

Turning, Naruto found himself squashed against a wide chest as a pair of powerful arms crushed him into it. "How was your little adventure? As manly as could be hoped?"

Slipping free, Naruto looked a _long_ way up and finally saw Elfman's face grinning down at him. Pulling away, Naruto nodded awkwardly and chuckled. "Uh, yeah, I suppose it went alright. Fought some dudes, saved some more people, the usual I guess..."

Cheering loudly, the massive man reached out and slung a single arm around Naruto's shoulders, slamming him back into his chest with a hard thud. "Now that's a real man! So honest, yet so powerful! Come, you must meet some more of the guild!"

Not given a choice, the blond was dragged over to a long bench and thrown down into a seat. Flinching at the solid landing, Naruto opened an eye and looked up.

"Hey there youngster! Last time I saw you, you were dead asleep in Lucy's arms!"

"Say _what?_ When did that happen?"

Laughing, the man before him raised a mug. "Ah, my apologies. I was with Natsu and Lucy when they found you after your fall from the air. Lucy was the one who carried you back to the guild. My name is Macao."

Trying to accept that Lucy had managed to carry him that whole way alone, Naruto nodded. "Good to meet you. Naruto."

Extending a hand, the man took it and shook it solidly. Now having a proper chance, Naruto took a look at the man. He seemed normal enough, with his deep blue hair in a short cut, a matching moustache nestled under his thin rectangular nose. Stern, piercing, brown eyes looked at him, a grin below them though lightening their gaze. A dark blue shirt hugged his chest while a white, long sleeved coat covered that. Naruto couldn't see much else seeming he was sitting down, but wasn't too worried about that.

Letting go of his hand, Naruto found a drink pushed in front of him. "Here, have a drink! We can't have a friend thirsty!"

Turning to look at the new man, Naruto nodded. "Thanks for that..."

"Wakaba. Nice to meet you!"

Nodding, Naruto couldn't help but stare at the man's strange, dirty blond hair style. It was up in a weird pompadour, the front stiffly extending out over his face in a long cylinder. Beneath that, a pair of slits for eyes stared at him uncannily, a grin matching Macao's on his face. His upper lip however was clean shaven, not following his friend's trend. A pipe poked from his lips, the end glowing softly with every breath he took. Below that was a simple long sleeved beige coat with a dirty orange shirt revealed beneath. Staring a little longer at his shirt, Naruto wondered how that would look on himself as he absently took a sip of his drink. He instantly sprayed it across the table as the powerful alcohol burnt the back of his throat. The group instantly laughed, Elfman clapping Naruto's back solidly several times to help the boy clear his throat.

"Can't handle your liquor eh? Ha, what a light weight."

Spluttering, Naruto looked around for the source of the voice. "Who said that?"

"I did big guy."

Turning, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the brunette of his memories. Long, full brown hair fell down her back in abundant amounts, curling in on itself, giving the appearance of even more hair. Mischievous dark eyes shone as she eyed him up, a hint of a smirk on her lips. She grinned a little more as she noticed Naruto's eyes drop to her chest. The bold girl had nothing but a dark blue bikini top on, the stretched fabric barely holding back the sizable amounts of flesh hidden behind them. A bag strap was slung over her shoulder, the top of the bag just visibly poking over her hips. A pair of bracelets were clasped around her toned biceps, matched somewhat with the light grey bangles that dangled from her wrists. A strange emblem was imprinted onto her skin in a dark blue, matching the odd carving that sat above the guild name at the front of the door. Below that though was a set of simple, light brown three quarter pants that hugged her hips. Despite all this though, what drew Naruto's full attention was the massive barrel she had her hand on.

Pointing at the thing, Naruto swallowed. "You're drinking that whole thing by yourself?"

Laughing, she tapped the side of the barrel. "Two, actually. What you're looking at is my life support. Can't live without it."

Staring at the thing, Naruto didn't really know what to think. "I bet your liver could live quite happily without that..."

Barking out a single snap of laughter, she picked the thing up, swallowed several huge mouthfuls from a hole in the top and slammed it back down. "Ain't never troubled me before and if it does, that's for my future self to worry about. The name's Cana."

Nodding, Naruto clicked a finger a few times. "Yeah... yeah, I remember you. You were the one who jumped me from behind and grabbed my boobs."

Everyone around the table sprayed their mouthfuls at each other this time, not quite sure they heard correctly. Coughing a bit, Cana wiped her mouth and looked at the blond incredulously. "Say _what?_"

"You jumped that blond barmaid Naruko and grabbed her tits. That was me. Or atleast, a clone of me."

Macao, Wakaba and Elfman sort of tuned out at that, happily recalling the fine moment. Cana however wanted to find out just what the new boy meant. "So, you're saying you somehow cloned yourself, then transformed yourself, and then worked here with Mirajane? So how'd you get the memories?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup, that was about it. When I dispel my clones, I gain their memories. Sensations too."

He shivered as he rubbed his chest. "You've done something like that before haven't you? You sure knew what you were doing when you grabbed me."

Blushing somewhat, Cana didn't reply and went back to drinking, while the men at the table flushed and began leaking a bit of blood as something ruptured in their nasal cavities. More or less oblivious to the awkward situation he had caused for Cana, Naruto placed his hands to the table and stood up. "Well, it was great meeting you all, but I am totally famished. I'll talk with you in a bit."

Leaving, the table fell quiet as the noise raged on around them. Three sets of eyes zeroed in on Cana as the girl tried to ignore them. Damn her impulsiveness.

XxXxXxX

Stuffing his face, Naruto sucked a chicken leg clean of the meat before cramming a whole loaf of bread into his mouth with his other hand. His rapid eating pace had earned the attention of a few of the guild members, betting beginning to start on how many bowls he would go through. So far, he had licked clean nine.

Reaching out for the next plate, Naruto paused to burp loudly before looking up at Mirajane. "So, just a quick question, what's with some of the members having the guild emblem stamped onto them? I know Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza and Cana have it, but I haven't seen it on too many other people."

Watching Naruto tuck into the next plate with just as much gusto as his first one, Mira headed over to make another one. "Oh, we all have them, you just can't see some on them. It's a quick method of identifying which guild you are affiliated with. All guilds have one. I have mine stamped high on my thigh. I'd show you but I have too much dress to hike up."

Struggling not to choke on his mouthful, Naruto thumped his chest and forced down a lump much bigger than first intended. "You mean you can get this thing anywhere on your body? Like, _anywhere,_ anywhere?"

Nodding, Mira took the brief opportunity to clean up Naruto's old plates. "Yup! I've even heard of a couple of mages getting their stamp on their backsides!"

Imagining Mira getting her stamp on her bum, a pervy look oozed onto his face as a small sliver of drool slipped from his lip. Giggling, Mira flicked him with a towel. "Oi, stop thinking what I know you're thinking or I'll stop the food!"

Instantly coming back, Naruto dived into his plate and began destroying the food with renewed vigor.

XxXxXxX

After finishing his meal, Naruto had decided to go for a light jog to help digest his meal. He was surprised to find he'd been out of it most of the day, as it was now coming into the twilight hour. Jumping to the roofs, Naruto took one look around and forgot about his run.

The city had just started to light up, the gentle glow of street lights and town houses casting soft light into the growing shadows as the sky above shifted colours from a deep blue, to purple and then to red. Before he knew it, Naruto found himself lying on the top of the guild staring out at Magnolia. Resting his head back on his hands, a small smile crept to his lips as the young couples began emerging, walking arm in arm around the pretty rivers. Hearing movement behind him, Naruto looked up to see a shock of white climb over the roof apex.

"Ah, there you are!"

Sliding down beside Naruto, Mirajane adopted a position much like Naruto's, hands behind her head with one leg up and resting on the others bent knee. Looking back out over the city, Naruto watched as the light in the sky began to be replaced by the light of the land.

"So how did you find me?"

Smiling, Mira looked up to the stars in the sky. "Oh, it took a little bit, but then I thought you might be up here because I used to come up here when I was younger."

Pursing his lips, Naruto looked across. "How did you even get up here anyway? It's a big climb for the average person."

Smirking, Mira tapped her nose. "I wasn't always like this you know. I'm still classified as an S Rank mage!"

Turning his head so he could fully look at her, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You? But... but you're so, I dunno, soft and girly! I couldn't imagine you like Erza."

Laughing, Mira looked up in remembrance. "You'd be surprised. I was the one that used to start fights with her!"

Snorting, Naruto looked up at the sky. "Well I am surprised. Big, tough Mirajane, S Rank mage of Fairy Tail!"

Gently hitting his arm, Mira rolled her eyes. "Stop making it sound like I'm a brute. I don't take quests anymore, I just work here as the barmaid and the Fairy Tail cover girl."

That spiked Naruto's interest. "Cover girl you say?"

Mira poked her tongue out and winked. "I knew that'd get your attention. Yes, I have posed several times for the Sorcerer Magazine."

Beaming, Naruto pushed himself up onto an elbow. "Know where I can find one of these magazines?"

Grinning coyly, Mira raised an eyebrow. "What, you'd rather look at a photo when the real thing is right here?"

Pausing, Naruto thought that one over. She never _did_ say if she was dressed differently for the photos... so sighing, Naruto poked his tongue out at her. "Guess you got a point. But atleast I can look at a picture for as long as I want without anyone calling me a pervert."

Lifting her arms, Mira stretched. "I never said I'd call you anything like that..."

Finding himself a little out of his depth, Naruto bit his lip as he tried to come back with something witty. His brain had seemed to abandoned ship though and he was left just staring at the girl as she stretched. She seemed to be holding the pose for a little while too, but Naruto just threw that down to his imagination. Her gentle voice broke through his trance eventually and he managed to pull his eyes away.

"So, how come you're speaking so clearly now? Surely one clone popping wouldn't make such a noticeable difference."

Having something else to focus on now, Naruto leant back in thought. "Well, no one ever really told me this, but I think I've worked it out over time. Pretend I make five clones. One pops. Myself, plus the other four get that information. Then another pops. The rest of us get two clones worth of information. A third pops. That's three clones worth of information back to me. You might say, 'oh, but that's just the same information all along', but I think because each clone has an independence of its own, it digests the information different, meaning I get a whole other view on what was absorbed. So with... Naruko... it wasn't only her memories I got, it was hers plus however many hundred before her."

Bright eyes widening as she processed the information, Mira sucked in a slow breath. "So, this isn't really an additional style of learning, more like a multiplication?"

Having a think, Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Never really thought about it that deep before."

Frowning, Mirajane started ticking away her fingers as she ran some math through her head. "Hang on, if that's the case, that's more like... squaring the number! Naruto, you might have absorbed over ten thousand clone memories! No wonder you were knocked out!"

A vacant look entered Naruto's eyes as he tried to understand what Mira just revealed to him. He didn't struggle with it too long however. Math never really interested him. Shrugging again, he clasped his hand behind his head. "Mmmm, that's kinda cool I suppose."

Casting an amused glance over at the blond, Mira just shook her head. The only other person Mira could think of that could blow something like that off was Natsu. Turning her gaze back to the sky, the two fell into silence, the soft murmur of crowds in the distance gently washing over them. Clouds rolled through the sky slowly as a mild breeze pushed them through the night air. Suddenly, a bright streak of light shot across the dark sky, lighting it up for a moment of brilliance before fading into nothingness.

Gasping, Mira pushed herself up, eyes shining in awe. "Naruto! That was the biggest one I have seen in years! Quick, make a wish!"

Looking at the girl with a confused expression, Naruto didn't move. "Why would I do that?"

Raising an eyebrow, Mira looked down. "Don't you know? When you see a falling star, you make a wish and it might come true!"

Eyes wide, Naruto pushed himself up. "No way! I can't believe I missed out for so long! I wish someone would have told me that sooner!"

Giggling, Mirajane covered her mouth. "Didn't your parents or friends ever tell you about that?"

Chuckling sheepishly, Naruto scratched his bicep and looked away. Seeing him draw into himself, Mira wondered if she said something wrong. He answered though before she could voice her concern. "Well, I'm an orphan, so I never really had anyone there to tell me that. I never really had any friends either until within the last few years and by that stage, I guess that they'd just forgotten."

Gasping softly, Mira's eyebrows crinkled in sorrow for the boy. "Oh, Naruto! I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Chuckling again, he met her eyes. "That's alright. It might have been a little lonely, but I turned out ok, so there's nothing to worry about."

His eyes then thinned to slits as he gave his friend a wide grin. Infected like most people, Mira couldn't help but smile back softly. "Well, in that case, I'll make my wish now."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Mira frowned in concentration before smiling and open her eyes. "Ok, your turn."

Nodding, Naruto scrunched his eyes closed as he focused on his wish. 'I wish to be Hokage someday. I wish to be Hokage someday. I wish...'

His mind trailed off as a set of soft lips tenderly pressed themselves onto his cheek. They held the position for a moment before pulling away. Raising a hand to his cheek, Naruto looked over at Mira as she leaned back, a beautiful smile on her face. "What... was that for?"

She cast him a warm gaze and her smile widened at his confusion. "It was my wish. I wished you would never feel lonely again."

XxXxXxX

_A/N – I wanted to fit more in here, but then I realised I was 10'000 words in. I hope everyone who was hassling me about Naruto's true strength is happy now too. Yeah, he did _that_, but it was only after giving Erigor multiple chances. _

_Please, don't anyone tell me Naruto convinced Erza too quickly either. If you need any reference for Naruto's crazy convincing power, just go check out Naruto and True Pein's talk._

_There's a little fluff in the air too people. Hope you liked the squishy moments._

_There's probably more things I could talk about, but it's currently 1.30am and I sleepy._

_Vandenbz is a boss_

_Lanky Nathan_


	9. Chapter 9

**Day nine. Sorry Mira-chan, but this just isn't working. I hate writing so much! Enough is enough. I'm feeding this thing to Natsu.**

**Day nine, out.**

XxXxXxX

The next day greeted Naruto with a hearty breakfast and then a light jog around town. It ended up turning into a game of tag after Natsu and Happy managed to find him and everything went downhill from there. Many an innocent stand was overturned in their joy, their boisterous activity creating enough of a racket that they couldn't hear the vicious insults hurled at them as they left their trail of destruction.

The game eventually ended with Naruto choking out Natsu, Happy squawking discontentedly from between Naruto's legs. "Come on, say uncle! You know you want to. Just give up, it'll be easy."

Natsu's face began turning purple but he resiliently held firm, gurgling incoherently. Naruto continued to laugh until he felt Natsu's flapping subside, at which he looked down. Seeing no movement, he released the hold.

"Uh... you ok there? Natsu?"

Slamming into Naruto's back full force, Happy started pouncing on his shirt, tears streaming down his cheeks. "You killed Natsu! Why, why would you kill Natsu! We had such a full and happy life together!"

His rant was cut short as Natsu's hands exploded into flame. Naruto quickly found himself in a tight hold, not all that well constructed but rigid enough for him to be unable to escape.

"HA! You say uncle! Just do it, you know you can't win now! Bow before my awesomeness!"

Shifting his mouth from under Natsu's armpit, Naruto spluttered for a moment before giving up. "Alright, alright! I can't take any more of your armpit!"

Releasing him, Natsu jumped high in the air and began running circles around the blond as he wiped off his tongue, desperately trying to rid the flavour. Spitting one last time, Naruto made a foul face before standing. Dusting himself down, Naruto grabbed the boy and his cat as they passed him again. "So where were you two going anyway? I mean, before tag."

Their eyes widened as their previous mission was remembered. "Oh yeah, that's right! We were off to Lucy's house! We always visit her, wanna come?"

Shrugging, Naruto gave in. "Yeah sure, why not. What's she usually doing this time?"

Tapping a finger against his chin, Natsu looked at Happy. "Well... sometimes she's writing stuff, but mostly she's in the middle of having a shower."

Grinning, Naruto placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Lead the way."

XxXxXxX

"Ahhh, nothing quite beats a morning soak! It's what every growing girl needs! Maybe I should write some more while I have a morning off..."

Wiping away the last of the water droplets, Lucy wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out into her lounge room. Steam billowed out the door and she waved her hand around, clearing her vision. What she didn't expect to see was Natsu and Happy stretched out on her bed, Gray relaxing in her chair near naked and Naruto sifting through her desk. Looking over, Gray raised a hand.

"Yo, how was the shower?"

Eyes growing wide, Lucy pointed at him disbelievingly. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Looking over, Natsu picked his nose. "I dunno hey. We met him along the way and he came for some reason. I didn't invite him."

Launching out with a kick, Lucy upturned her mattress and sent the boy and his cat to the floor. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS ASKING! I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU ALL ARE EVEN HERE!"

Looking up from under the bed, Natsu pouted. "Well dah, we came to say good morning and see if you had any food. Happy found some fish but not much else, so I was waiting till you got out to see if you had a secret stash somewhere."

Pointing at the door, Lucy stomped her foot. "Leave. NOW."

Crawling out, Natsu started whining. "But why me? Why do Gray and Naruto get to stay?"

"All of you!"

A cold shiver went down her back as Naruto let out an amused laugh. "This stuff ain't half bad! You write this?"

Screaming, she dashed forward and snatched the papers from Naruto's hands, body checking the blond into the wall. "DON'T READ THAT!"

Sitting up, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? It wasn't that bad."

Clutching them to her chest, Lucy wriggled around uncomfortably. "But it's not ready to be read yet! It's embarrassing!"

Letting out a bark of laughter, Naruto shook his head. "No, that's not embarrassing, even the bits of kissing and stuff in it. You should have read my sensei's stuff. It was basically porn in words. THAT was embarrassing. I had to proofread his books."

Looking at him incredulously as he shivered, Lucy then glanced down at the sheets by her chest. "How much did you read?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, about half of it?"

Blushing heavily at the knowledge of what he saw and how closely he came to seeing a whole lot more than just kissing, Lucy pointed at the door. "Out! All of you! Get out!"

No one moved except Natsu who dropped back onto the bed. "But Lucy, it's boring! Besides, you have such a nice house. It's comfy and smells nice."

Naruto nodded in agreement while Gray started shuffling around. "Yeah, I can't really say how good it smells, but it really is pleasant for the cost of the rent."

Lucy then froze as a pair of dark boxers floated over the chair, landing smack on her face.

XxXxXxX

The three males and one cat now found themselves sitting on the street, Naruto poking fun at Natsu and Gray, being the only one who escaped a beating from the slight girl. After living with Sakura for so long, dodging (or atleast, attempting to dodge) furious female punches was just as ingrained into his defences as blocking with a kunai was.

It took a while but eventually Lucy came wandering out, her eyes closed in frustration as she locked the door behind her. Tucking the key away safely into her belt, she turned and sighed. "Honestly, it's bad enough you two came, but Naruto? I thought you'd be more mature about that."

Looking up innocently, Naruto pointed at Natsu. "He said he visits all the time! How was I meant to know you didn't like it?"

Glaring at him for a moment, Lucy nodded. "Well... alright. But just this once I'll let you off."

Walking between them, Lucy ended up by the river that ran past her house and stretched. "So, what are we doing today?"

Natsu jumped up, eyes blazing as an idea sprung to mind. "I know! How about we go challenge Erza to a fight? I could totally beat her this time around!"

Looking at him worriedly, Lucy wondered about his mental state. Gray just smirked and looked up. "Really? You _do_ remember the time before? And the time before that? And the time before that?"

Natsu just grinned and slammed a fist into his palm. "Nah, I'll definitely win this time. I can feel it."

Shrugging, Gray rose to his feet. "Eh, might as well go watch. It's always entertaining watching Natsu get his head kicked in. Lucy, Naruto? You comin'?"

Lucy nodded hesitantly after a moment but Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I gotta go check on some stuff. I'll come around later."

"Suit yourself. You're missing out on a free laugh but."

"Hey! I already said I'd win!"

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"FINE! Happy, let's go!"

"AYE!"

Dashing off down the street, Natsu went in search of Erza while Gray and Lucy finished up with Naruto. "So you're sure you don't wanna come?"

Shaking his head again, Naruto held his hands out apologetically. "No, I really do need to check on these things. Catch you later yeah?"

Nodding, the two bid their goodbyes and left, Lucy waving over her head a while longer than Gray. Sighing as he watched them leave, Naruto turned and started running. Heading out of town, Naruto slowed to a stop once clear of prying eyes and calmed himself. Quickly drawing on the natural energy, Naruto felt himself fill with the power surrounding him and opened his eyes. A quick check around verified no one was watching and he took off again, double his previous speed. Heading for the beacon of chakra he had left behind, Naruto frowned.

He was becoming too attached to the people here and the peace. It was a lovely holiday and almost everyone here were wonderful people, but there were pressing matters at home he just couldn't ignore. Who knew what happened after the whole Pein episode. He still had that unresolved thing with Hinata too.

Jumping over a tree, Naruto landed easily and began cutting through the forest, bypassing the path in favour of a straight line. He just wished he knew how Kakashi-sensei's **Kamui (Authority of the Gods)** worked. Did it just send his targets to this one dimension? Or were there multiple dimensions? Did he even have control over where they were sent? These were just three questions Naruto wished he could answer, and he guessed there were heaps of others that he hadn't thought of.

Pondering these thoughts, Naruto reached his destination within fifteen minutes, skidding to a stop beside the still airborne blue mist. Nothing had changed except the amount of the stuff, Kakashi's chakra a good deal smaller than when he visited last. Now that he was here though, there wasn't a lot Naruto could do that he hadn't already tried. So sitting down, Naruto deactivated **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)****, **closed his eyes and began to think.

'So... what now? This is like my only way home. How am I meant to follow Kakashi's chakra into infinity? Alright Naruto, consider your options. What can I do that might open it up? Kakashi's chakra is one thing. But how would I use it to open the hole? Maybe I could use it to crack a new hole beside it? Or... or... Bah, I don't know! Um, seals, perhaps? It could work, but I don't think I know enough yet... probably should have listened more to Ero-Sennin. So that could work, but with a lot of studying... but then... maybe...'

XxXxXxX

Opening his eyes, Naruto found himself in the sewer of his mind. Looking around, he frowned. 'When did I get dragged in here?'

Turning to the familiar foul tunnel, Naruto began walking. The oppressive chakra mass he had been captor to his whole life steadily grew as he neared the end. Finally reaching the entrance, Naruto turned and looked up at the massive cage now before him.

"What do you want?"

A deep rumbling growl echoed through the cavern as a pair of enormous bloodshot eyes opened and focused on him. They moved closer to the bars of the cage and dropped so they were only a mere twenty feet above his head. Thin lips then pulled back revealing a mouth packed full of gleaming white teeth as the demon began to speak.

"_**Brat, you know what I always want. To get this thrice damned seal off my cage. And I was so close... so CLOSE."**_

Slamming its head against the bars in a momentary loss of temper, the whole room shook from the power of the blow, a loud boom echoing down the surrounding tunnels.

"_**To think that your pathetic Hokage managed to seal me yet again! But enough of that. I've been trying to contact you but it seems I haven't been able to get through till now. It must have something to do with the tightened seal. 'What I want to know is what this putrid chakra you've been filling my realm with is."**_

Frowning, Naruto looked around. Nothing seemed different. "What are you on about? Nothing's different."

Growling again, the fox shivered in barely constrained rage. _**"Don't mock me human. You damn well know what I mean. Ever since that incompetent sensei of yours managed to teach you his **__**Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)**__**, you fill this place with natural energy. Recently however, this new undesirable natural energy floods the place."**_

Holding his hands out, Naruto looked around again. "But where is this energy?"

Finally losing it, the fox lashed out, slamming its massive head against the cage wall. _**"ARE YOU HONESTLY THAT DENSE? Activate that **__**Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)**__** of yours and draw the energy in here!"**_

Frowning as he was scolded, Naruto looked away and began to draw upon the nature around him. While he wasn't one to usually listen to the demon's demands, this one made him curious. When he felt the levels even out, Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as the fox spat off to the corner, its fur bristling as its energy warded off the invading energy.

"_**This is what I want to know. What. Is. This?"**_

Looking around in awe, Naruto shook his head. "I... I really don't know."

The actual reason for Naruto's awe and the fox's discomfort was floating in the air around them. A soft gold light had flooded the place, denser amounts here and there clumping together to produce brighter spots that vaguely resembled little stars. All in all it was quite beautiful. The fox however seemed to think otherwise.

"_**Well find out! This is nothing like the normal energies I'm used to. Its presence disgusts me, not to mention it keeps trying to enter me!"**_

Snarling, the Kyuubi unleashed a powerful wave of chakra which bowled Naruto head over heels as it tried to force the gold light back. Landing against the far wall, he looked up at the Kyuubi in a daze. _**"Find out what this stuff is and then tell me what you find. I will not be contaminated by it!"**_

Naruto shook his head as he cleared the last of the stars. "But why do you hate it so much? It feels normal, doesn't it?"

Casting an eye around the room, the fox shook its fur. _**"I never trust what I do not yet know. Now will you tell me about this when you find out, or will I have to drag it from you?"**_

Ignoring the threat, Naruto realised this could be an opportunity to find a way home. "Alright, but I want something in return. I'll find out what this is, and when I do, you help me find a way back home. Deal?"

Frowning, the fox looked at him. _**"Home?"**_

Naruto nodded. "I've been transported to some weird new dimension far from the Elemental Nations. I have no idea how to get back though, and I really need to."

The fox nodded as it understood the situation. _**"So that's what happened earlier? This won't be easy with you being limited to but three dimensions, but I wish to stay in this wretched dimension even less than you do. You have yourself an accord."**_

Grinning up at the fox, Naruto stood. "Good. I'll go talk with Mira-chan now and see if I can clear this up. You be ok to hold this off a little longer?"

Blasting out another shockwave, Naruto covered his face as the power of the demon buffered him. _**"Do not mock me vermin. Get out of my sight and uphold your end of the bargain." **_

Not wishing to agitate the beast any more than he should, Naruto merely closed his eyes and faded from sight.

Coming to, Naruto looked down at his hands and opened and clenched them several times. Despite his secret amusement at the fox's hatred of the odd gold light, Naruto found it incredibly fascinating. It didn't feel too much different from the natural energy of his world, but whatever it was seemed to want to merge with the fuzz bag. Standing, Naruto looked at the slowly circling ball of chakra hanging in the air. Standing here wouldn't solve anything, so turning, Naruto leapt to the nearest tree and kicked off into the air.

XxXxXxX

"Mira-chan! Mira-chan! I got some questions for you!"

Bounding into the mess hall, Naruto avoided the flying tables with ease as he ran around the growing bar fight, heading for where he knew the white haired woman worked. Skidding to a stop in front of the bar, Naruto belted a chair clean out of the air from behind him without even looking back. "Mira-chan!"

Laughing, she walked over drying her hands on a towel. "Yes Naruto, I heard you the first two times. What can I do for you?"

Pointing at the mess behind him, Naruto raised his voice over the growing noise. "Can we go outside quickly? I really need to ask you some questions!"

Smiling apologetically, Mira gestured to the dirty bar and the patrons waiting to be served. "I'm sorry, but I have work that can't be left. Maybe later?"

Shaking his head, Naruto pushed on. "But what if you could have some help, just while you're gone?"

"Ah... I suppose that could work..."

"Woo!"

Crossing his fingers, three female clones appeared beside him, all dressed in skimpy maid outfits. Quickly getting to work, the fight behind them quickly fell apart as the men realised their favourite bar maid was back, and in greater quantity too. Grabbing Mira's hand, Naruto pulled her over the bench top and then ran with her up and out of the room, the girl laughing all the way. Entering the main hall, Naruto spotted a clear table and aimed for it. Helping Mirajane into her seat, Naruto dropped down in front of her, grinning happily.

Sighing at his boisterousness, Mira folded her hands on the table. "So what is it you have to ask me?"

Now actually confronted with the question, Naruto paused as he considered how he should word it. He couldn't just out and say, 'Hey, there's a big demon fox in my gut and he wants to know what the glowing light inside my head is'. So frowning, he slowly trod around the question.

"Uh, well, I'm actually wondering what is up with the energy here. In my home dimension, I have learnt how to absorb nature energy to boost certain areas of myself, like strength and endurance. However, everything here feels different. The energy in the atmosphere is... I dunno, just different! And, I also went inside my own mind while meditating before, and saw it filled with this golden light. Would you have any idea what that could be?"

Frowning as Naruto explained, Mira chewed on the inside of her mouth for a moment. "So, you can actually pull the energy of nature into yourself?"

Naruto nodded.

"But otherwise it isn't in there naturally?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. A problem with learning this actually comes from being overwhelmed by the natural energy. Lose yourself to it and you turn into a toad statue."

Mira's eyes widened when she heard this. "Really? That's... odd. Tell me about that later though. You also say you can 'enter your mind'. How do you mean?"

Scratching his head, Naruto struggled for an answer. "Well, actually, it's more like a giant room I guess. I sometimes go down there, but not much. But yeah, while I was there, I drew in some of the natural energy and yeah, the room then filled with gold light!"

Still not quite understanding the room explanation, Mira let it go. The gold light though, she knew what that most probably was. She just had to identify something first. "Naruto... this chakra you are always talking about. Where does it come from?"

Scratching his head, Naruto frowned. "Well, inside me. I generate it and stuff. We were told exactly how in academy, but that was so boring I slept through it. Or flicked boogers at the teacher. Why's that though?"

Mira held up a hand. "I'll answer in a second. So you say that this chakra comes from within? That there isn't any other chakra in the air or anything like that?"

Naruto looked up in thought. "Well... no, I don't think so. Atleast, I can never remember anyone saying so."

Nodding, Mira was fairly sure what everything was now. "Ok, I think I can help you now. You say that your chakra is created inside you. Well, us mages, we can't do that. We actually absorb it from the atmosphere in the form of something called Eternano. We store that in a container within ourselves and that then is what we call upon to create our magic."

Naruto pursed his lips as he digested the information. "So you say that everyone who lives here is a mage because everyone's power is in the air?"

Mira shook her head. "No, only about ten percent of the population is able to actively use magic. It takes a great deal of concentration and will to use magic."

"Oh." A smile slipped onto Naruto's face though when an idea crossed his mind. "Hey... seeming I can pull this stuff into me, does that mean I could learn magic?"

Mira's eyes lit up in thought. "Well... I suppose you might be able to... I doubt it though. You have to be born with the ability."

Not ready to let go of that idea just yet, Naruto started jiggling around, his infectious smile shining brightly. "Hey, hey, could you show me how anyway, just in case I can? Please? Please? Please?"

Rolling her eyes, Mira sighed. "Fine, I suppose so. Where do you want to try?"

Standing, Naruto started walking to the door. "I really like that big open plain out behind the city. Can we go there?"

Frowning, Mira shook her head. "That's a bit far. It'd take us too long."

Grinning, Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Nah, I can get us there quick! Like, within a minute or two... or maybe five. But still! Please?"

Raising an eyebrow, Mira studied him. He didn't seem to be lying. "How would you do that exactly?"

Swooping in, Naruto swept the girl off her feet and picked her up bridal style. "N-Naruto! What are you doing?"

Laughing, Naruto ran to the door. "Just watch, this is how!"

And with a startled scream from Mira, Naruto launched the two of them high above the roofs with a mighty jump.

XxXxXxX

Landing a few minutes later, Naruto landed and dropped his passenger, who was still laughing after the exhilarating experience. "That was amazing! I've never seen anyone travel like that!"

Stepping back Naruto scratched his head happily. "Yeah, well, that's how all us ninja travel around my village. So yeah, back to my training!"

Shaking her head at the insatiable boy, Mira sighed. "Alright, well first, enter this energised state you have been telling me about."

Nodding, Naruto stilled. It took a few moments, but he opened his eyes revealing the transformation. Staring intently into his eyes, Mira gasped softly as she took an unconscious step forward. "Wow... this is a byproduct of this state? Your eyes though... they look so much like a frog's. And the eye shadow... beautiful..."

Naruto started looking around awkwardly as Mira edged ever closer, her hand reaching out to touch his orange rimmed eyelids. Coughing, he tried to smile. "Uh, yeah, they're more like a toad's. It's called **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)**."

Realising her close proximity, Mira blinked a few times before blushing and stepping back, a hand on her face. "Oh, please excuse me, I do get carried away sometimes. So! Time to practice."

Seeing Naruto nod eagerly, Mira giggled. "Magic is a physical embodiment of the spirit. First thing you need to do is reach out with your spirit and touch the flow of energy within you. Can you do that?"

Frowning, Naruto closed his eyes as he internally reached around. "Uh, I'm trying... what's next?"

Mira hmmed as she thought. "Well, after that, it kind of just happens. Whatever you're naturally affiliated with will most likely happen. Like with Natsu and his flames."

Not responding, Naruto continued to dig around inside himself, desperately trying to touch his spirit with the energy filling his body. Mira fell quiet as she watched him struggle, rather impressed with how determined Naruto was to obtaining a magical ability. As he worked, Mira slowly became aware of a hint of something in the air. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but it felt familiar. It quickly faded however, leaving Mira with a slight hint of disappointment. Naruto seemed to grow fidgety after this and within a few moments, opened his eyes.

Sighing in frustration, Naruto scratched his head. "Nah, nothing. And here I was getting all excited too!"

Shrugging, Mira smiled at him comfortingly. "Well, anyone who can use magic is born with it. I thought you may have been an exception, what with you being able to draw it in, but I guess not. I thought I felt something there for a moment, but it turned out to be nothing."

Widening his eyes, Naruto looked at her. "Really? I didn't feel anything."

Mira sighed. "Ah well, not to worry. You can do a lot of things most of us can do anyway, such as transform, so there's nothing to be ashamed of."

Grumping to himself, Naruto begrudgingly accepted the fact that magic looked like it was impossible for him. Didn't mean he wouldn't try again later though. Looking to liven up the mood, Mira smiled and tapped his shoulder. "Come on, chin up! Anyway, I just had an idea; you should totally start a daily dairy!"

Looking at her with an unimpressed glance, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that stuff for girls? I got better things to be doing with my time."

Frowning, Mira stood back, hands on her hips. "I'll have you know it is _not_ girly. My brother Elfman has one, and he's the manliest guy in the whole guild!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That massive human is your brother? I suppose it makes sense though... he does have your hair."

Nodding once, Mira then walked up to him and poked his chest. "That's right, and he does write a diary and now so will you. Take me back to the guild and we'll get started."

She then jumped, fully trusting Naruto to catch her in his arms. Shouting out in surprise, he just grabbed her and looked down at the smug girl. "What's wrong with you? I could have dropped you!"

Shrugging, Mira looked up at him with a wide smile. "But you didn't, did you? You're such a gentleman!"

Grumbling to himself, Naruto started running before taking a large leap and soaring to the roofs.

XxXxXxX

Within a few minutes from the initial suggestion, Naruto was now seated before a little book with Mira hovering over him. "Come on, just write down something, anything! Who knows, you do this and it may help you find a way home."

Naruto pouted at the gentle pressuring and crossed his arms with a huff. "But I don't wanna!"

Grabbing a cheek, Mira squealed softly and shook his face. "Awww you are so cute! Come on Naruto, you can do this! For me?"

It was then Naruto realised just how deadly this woman could be.

Upon turning to look up at her in annoyance, Naruto was subjected to the most wide, starry eyes look of all time. Her mouth was curled up in a tiny smile while both hands were clasped beneath her chin in the most endearing way. Any future complaints instantly died on his tongue after a few moments of being subjected to the look.

It was near impossible to resist, and Naruto couldn't help but wonder just what this girl had been doing to practice such a devastating technique. Turning and beginning to write, Naruto couldn't help but wonder if he'd be able to get Naruko to make the same face.

Finishing off scribbling, Naruto dropped the pen, closed the book and stood up. Turning to Mira, he held it out. "Here you go, you hold onto it if you so desperately want me to keep writing in it. I'd shred it within a day."

Smiling, Mira took it and slipped it down her top. Naruto instantly froze and stared at where it disappeared, wondering how the book managed to get so lucky. Patting it, Mira then winked at Naruto. "I'll find you tomorrow and we can work on it from there. Now scoot, I have work to do."

Watching the extremely friendly woman slowly turn and stroll away, Naruto shook his head. That girl was a mystery. It seemed like she enjoyed seeing Naruto flustered. Must be why she was Fairy Tail's cover girl. Evil woman.

Remembering his deal with the Kyuubi, Naruto ran outside and jumped into the guild roof. Settling himself, he closed his eyes and let his consciousness fade.

XxXxXxX

"_**Hmmm, you're back sooner than I expected. What have you found?"**_

Standing before his inner demon again, Naruto grinned up at it. "What, you didn't think I'd follow through with my end? And here I thought you knew all about me."

Sniffing, the massive fox shook itself. _**"If there was ever one mildly passable quality about you, it's that you can keep a promise. Now tell me what I want to know."**_

Raising an eyebrow at the Kyuubi, Naruto took the compliment without any further mention. He then frowned as he struggled to remember what Mirajane explained to him. "Alright... apparently this dimension has a different form of natural energy. The gold stuff floating around was actually something called... damn, what did she call it... uh, Ete... Eternano... I think. Somehow it's connected with these people being able to create magic. Something to do with their spirit reaching out and touching the energy."

Raising a furry brow, the fox looked down at him. _**"Is that what you were doing before?"**_

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I tried making magic but it didn't work. Mira-chan said she felt something briefly but it disappeared shortly after."

The fox snorted. _**"Of course she did, you went and started tapping into my own reserves you stupid creature. How could you not notice?"**_

Eyes widening, Naruto realised his mistake. "Uh, I thought I was only tapping the Eternano though?"

The fox rolled its enormous eyes. _**"Trust you to make that mistake. You must have defaulted to my chakra. Fool."**_

Ignoring the snip, Naruto tipped his head to the side as he thought. "So... now that you know what this is, would you try allowing some into you? It doesn't change me when I use it. It just feels different."

The fox shook its head. _**"No. I'm quite content with my own substantial power. I need no additives from some pathetic world."**_

Shrugging, Naruto let the fox think what it wanted. "Whatever then. I guess you'll start working on figuring out a way home now then?"

Snorting, the fox nodded. "_**I'll have a better chance of working something out than you with your limited thinking. Leave me now and let me work. I shall contact you if anything comes to mind. Do not disturb me before then."**_

Nodding, Naruto turned and slowly faded from view.

XxXxXxX

Opening his eyes, Naruto became aware of a commotion below. His ears tuned into Natsu screaming indignantly about something while some hushed whispers ran through the gathered crowd. Crawling to the edge, the blond poked his head over the gutter and looked down. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw what looked like a swamp green frog dressed in official looking robes holding out a piece of paper. The top view of it wasn't all that great a position to gauge what was going on, so sliding to the shadowed side on the building, Naruto slipped down and landed softly on the outskirts of the group.

"... eleven charges of property damage. Erza Scarlet, you are under arrest."

Tucking away her last name in his memory, Naruto frowned as the group let out a unified gasp. Taking another look at the frog, he could now see it was wearing this thin blue top hat thing that sat tall and proud in the middle of its head. It had this blue, long sleeved overcoat on with a white robe beneath it, stretching all the way to the ground and covering its feet.

Rolling up the piece of paper, it tucked it away and motioned to the horse drawn carriage behind it. "If you would please come quietly, I believe it would be in both our best interests."

"Like hell I'll just let you up and take Erza in the middle of our fight!"

Natsu exploded into flame and made to attack the frog, but was quickly smothered by several other guild members that dog piled him into the ground to prevent him doing anything stupid. That didn't stop the creative flow of curses flowing from his mouth however.

Ignoring the mess, Naruto checked out the carriage. It only had two guards by it, so they obviously didn't expect much resistance from the strong woman. Frowning, Naruto crept over to it. Something like this would normally warrant a few more guards atleast, especially with the reputation Erza seemed to have.

The frog turned and began walking, fully expecting Erza to follow. A number of indignant voices began rising from the crowd as it left, asking for more information. Natsu's was easily the loudest, followed surprisingly by Cana. She may have been an alcoholic, but it seemed she had a fierce sense of loyalty.

"ENOUGH! Let them take Erza for now, we shall find out more in the future. For now, everyone back inside the guild. Elfman, bring Natsu with you."

Hearing the short man's powerful voice break through the rising noise, Naruto watched as the group quickly fell silent before they started shuffling inside. Natsu was the only one who kept screaming indignantly, struggling to free himself from under Elfman's massive arm. Shaking his head, Naruto allowed a small smile onto his face. Natsu reminded him SO much of when he was younger.

Turning back to the carriage, he saw the guards holding the doors open as Erza neared. Quickly glancing around, Naruto brought his hands together in the Ram seal.

"**Henge (Transform)**."

A pull of smoke went up and a tiny lizard shot towards Erza. Dashing in, it jumped onto her shoe without notice, riding it up and into the wagon with her.

XxXxXxX

Inside the guild, everyone had sat down at a table and for once, were completely silent. No one had expected this turn of events. No one could understand why the council was arresting Erza for property damage, especially after she and her group had managed to save the guild masters. The only noise anyone could hear was Natsu's muffled screams from under a glass cup, the young mage having been turned into a tiny dragon and restrained.

Macao and Wakaba sat over by the back of the room stewing silently at the injustice. "How could the council slap something like that on Erza? It's just not right."

Taking a deep breath through his pipe, Wakaba blew the resulting smoke stream into the air above his head. "No, it's not. But even if you're innocent, if the council says you're guilty, you're guilty."

Closing his eyes, Macao sighed unhappily. "This shouldn't be allowed. I can't see how a small group of people has power like that."

Wakaba nodded. "Too right. I would've run in there with everyone else to get her back if Master hadn't said stop."

Macao looked to the roof, the air above them hazy from his friend's smoke. "I know. Poor Lucy seems to be taking it hard too. Erza was something of an idol to her."

Looking across, Wakaba grimaced. "Mmmm. I hope she doesn't get too down on it though. It wouldn't be healthy."

The girl in topic was up at the bar, her head resting on the bench top, her body limp and unresponsive. Mirajane dotted about worriedly as she tried to lift her spirits. "Come now Lucy, don't worry too much about this! This is Erza we're talking about. If anyone can handle this, it's her."

From the bench, Lucy shook her head. "It's not that I'm unhappy about, it's that they singled her out for the punishment! Natsu, Gray, Naruto and even myself and Levy had a hand in the damage. So why should she face it alone?"

Sighing, Mira looked down at the girl and smiled. "With an attitude like that, we can be sure she'll make it home! Our thoughts make her strong. She'll be back before you know it."

Looking up at her gratefully, Lucy nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. It's just tough waiting."

Sitting up, Lucy stretched and then looked around. "Hang on, where's Naruto? He seemed so much like Natsu that I'd have thought he'd be creating just as much of a fuss."

Looking around, Mira nodded. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him for a while. Master do you have any idea where he could be?"

Opening one eye, the old man looked over at them from his seat on the bench top. "Who?"

"Naruto."

Grunting, Makarov closed his eye. "How should I know? He's not a part of the guild or anything."

Rolling her eyes, Mira got back to rubbing a cup. It seemed that was his response to anything about the blond. She had a bit of an idea that Makarov _did _know what he was doing, just chose to ignore it. Turning, the white haired girl busied herself with cleaning up the never ending mess at the bar in an effort to keep her mind on other things.

XxXxXxX

Bouncing along gently, Erza sighed as she looked out the barred windows. She had no idea what was happening, but wasn't too worried about it. Hearing a scuttle of tiny feet, Erza looked down and saw a little lizard looking up at her curiously. Smiling, she reached out and scratched its head. "How did you get in here? You won't like where we're going."

The lizard turned a head to the side so it could look up at her. "Where are we going though? All I know is you've been arrested for a bunch of smashed stuff."

Raising an eyebrow, Erza retracted her hand and studied the creature for a few moments. "Naruto?"

Running up onto her lap, the lizard nodded. "Yeah, I'd change back, but I don't think the guards would like it all that much. So where we headed then?"

Rolling her eyes, Erza shook her head. "No, what's more important is what _you_ are doing here? You should be back at the guild."

The lizard-come-Naruto laughed. "Why? I'm not a part of the guild. Makarov can't tell me to do anything. Even then, I'd still come. I wouldn't let a friend get taken away for something stupid."

Laughing, Erza started scratching Naruto's head again. "Well, thank you then. The company is nice."

Falling quiet, the two then just enjoyed the motion of the carriage as it bumped around. After a little while though, Erza heard a strange soft noise coming from her lap. Looking down, she saw Naruto had his eyes closed and was resting his head on her leg. Realising he was snoring, Erza chuckled softly to herself and kept scratching his head.

XxXxXxX

Opening his eyes, Naruto stretched. Looking around, he saw he was in a small brown room. "...the hell?"

A bump sent him onto his side and he scrambled back to his feet. Realising he still had four of them, Naruto raised an eyebrow. That was unusual. Looking up, he saw a glint of light. Crawling up, he poked his head out the top and looked around. Right above him was a large amount of red hair flowing down someone's back, the well kept tresses conforming perfectly to the body beneath as the girl walked. He realised it was Erza. She must have dropped him in her pocket after he fell asleep.

Taking his eyes off her, Naruto took a look around the place they were in now. It appeared to be a massive walkway, with huge great pillars off to his right, stretching way up to meet a roof high above his head. To his left were doors that lead to mystery rooms, the wood surrounding them ornately trimmed in gold and silver. Above that were enormous cubes of granite and marble, each looking like it weighed about three tons. All in all it looked very much like a palace and Naruto instantly got the feeling that whoever worked here was very rich, or powerful, or most likely, both.

Feeling a bump, Naruto looked around and realised they had stopped. The frog thing had knelt down and Erza had visibly tensed. Frowning, he crawled back into the bum bag and waited. A smooth male voice reached his ears, but was too soft for him to really make anything out. Erza was much louder though, seemingly accusing whoever it was of setting this whole thing up. Listening closer, Naruto began to hear the man as he walked up to stand beside Erza.

"The old council men feared they would share the blame of Lullaby, so decided to push it onto someone else. You ended up being their scapegoat."

Physically tensing, Naruto had to hold on tight as Erza whirled around to face this guy. "Shut up! I do not need you here to tell me this!"

Naruto could almost feel the man shrug. "Whatever. I was just coming to warn you before the trial."

His voice then dropped to a whisper and Naruto nearly missed his parting words. "Don't say anything about our pasts though ok? For both our sakes."

Hearing his steps fade, Naruto frowned. Who was this guy? He clearly had something to do with Erza's past, and if the small amount Naruto had heard was anything to go by, it probably wasn't anything good. Feeling the woman start walking, Naruto settled down and waited.

XxXxXxX

"We will now begin this mage's trial. Erza Scarlet, in regards to Eisenwald and Lullaby, you are accused with causing massive damage to Oshibana Station, the damage of the Ryusika Gorge Railway and the destruction of the guild masters meeting call in Clover. According to witnesses at the scene, the culprit was an armoured female. How do you plead?"

'Bugger this.'

Jumping out of the pouch, Naruto landed on the ground with a splat. Running back a bit, he released his transformation and exploded back to normal. He grinned internally at the shocked gasps of the old people conducting this pathetic trial. Stepping forward he pointed at Erza.

"She pleads not guilty!"

He thrust a thumb to himself. "I destroyed just as much as she did! Probably even more, dattebayo!"

The magistrate looked down condescendingly at the boy. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Naruto frowned up at the man. "Who cares? I am who I am, and I am here to take at least half the blame from Erza."

Looking over the two, the man called out to the guards. "Get this nuisance out of here immediately!"

"Sir!"

Rushing forward, the guards each grabbed one of Naruto's arms and began pulling. Despite their strong pulls though, Naruto didn't budge an inch. He didn't even recognise their efforts as he kept shouting. "How can you old farts go blaming something like this on her? She didn't do anything wrong! Would you rather have every guild master dead instead of a broken house?"

Turning to face Naruto, Erza sent him a dark look. Turning back to the council, she bowed. "I apologise for the interruption."

Instantly having the wind taken from his sails, Naruto faulted and looked at her incredulously. "Say what?"

Sighing, the magistrate waved a hand at the two of them. "Throw them in jail for the night."

XxXxXxX

Naruto and Erza now leant against the walls of a stone jail cell. Erza was glaring darkly at Naruto and he was staring defiantly back. They hadn't said anything since they were thrown in and the tension was palpable. Eventually though, it was Erza who broke the silence.

"Why did you do that?"

Snorting, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What, jump in and try save you from a clearly biased trial? Oh I dunno, maybe because it was completely bogus!"

Frowning, Erza shook her head. "You heard what was said before. I was to have the blame laid on me and then freed!"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't care. I won't stand for something cowardly like that. They need to man up and take the blame when they make a mistake!"

Sliding a hand over her face, Erza sighed. "Now I feel like I'm sitting in here with Elfman. Look, it's not that I don't appreciate the gesture, and I'm honestly grateful you came, but things would have gone so much smoother if you hadn't jumped in."

Crossing his arms, Naruto looked away rebelliously. "I still don't care."

Realising she wouldn't be able to change his mind, Erza shook her head. "You're impossible."

They then fell silent for a bit, more relaxed after hanging everything out to dry though so it wasn't as uncomfortable as before. Looking out the window at the moon, Naruto sighed. Remembering something, Naruto looked over at Erza. "So... that guy who confronted you in the hall. What was that he was talking about?"

The red head visibly stiffened when Naruto mentioned this. She looked across awkwardly and worried her lower lip. "I... wasn't aware you were awake at that time."

Naruto nodded apologetically. "Sorry, but you bumped me awake. So, what was that?"

Looking down at her hands, Erza played with the gauntlets over her fingers. She took a moment but eventually replied. "I'd actually rather not talk about it if that's alright. Just some things I'd rather not remember."

Frowning, Naruto stared at her but let her be. As he sat though, Naruto suddenly felt a strong pull at his mind and he found his attention being pulled internally.

"_**HUMAN! For the death god's sake can you hear me yet?"**_

'Yes, yes, what's your issue?'

He heard the fox grumble in his head. _**"You are, too stupid to even realise when I'm trying to tell you something. I was contemplating how to get home when I felt an anomaly within the vicinity. Can you see anything?"**_

Standing, Naruto went to the barred window and looked out. Squinting, Naruto could vaguely make out a strange blue glow in the distance. 'Uh, yeah, I can see something in the sky. Is that it?'

The fox growled lowly. _**"Perhaps. It felt like a dimensional pull, much like what happened with that cretin who sent you here in the first place, just nowhere near as strong. Get over there now and monitor it."**_

Turning to look back at Erza, Naruto sighed. He didn't really know how he was going to break this to her. The girl seemed to detect his discomfort and looked over. "What is it?"

Frowning, Naruto pointed out the window. "I can feel something... something that feels a lot like what brought me here. I really want to go check it out."

Rising to her feet, Erza walked over and squinted out over the distance. Seeing the blue light, she nodded. "It seems that it may be a way home for you. Go, investigate it. Don't worry about me, I'll be released in the morning."

Naruto grinned. "Sweet. I'll leave a clone behind so the guards don't get suspicious."

Erza nodded approvingly. "That would be a good idea. We wouldn't want to create a scene."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, nothing more than we already have."

Generating a clone, he brought his hands together in a Ram seal and disappeared, place now occupied that little lizard again. Running up the wall, he reached the window. Hearing Erza though, Naruto paused. "Good luck."

Smiling as best he could, Naruto nodded once and disappeared outside.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – a little more filler for you all, but now begins a little journey of Naruto's own! This should prove interesting._

_One last thing. I got over 100 reviews for that last chapter. Honestly, that is just amazing. Thanks so much everyone!_

_Edit - sorry about the syke-out everyone =S I had to re upload cause FF didn't display the chapter first time around. Weird..._

_Vandenbz and Wyrd Darcnyzz, my betas, are good betas. _

_Lanky Nathan_


	10. Chapter 10

Landing softly outside the massive building, Naruto looked up into the distance and saw that the blue light seemed to be shrinking gradually. Almost feeling the beast within his stomach raging about in an effort to make him hurry up, Naruto sprinted off towards the light in a large billow of dust.

Dashing through the moonlit landscape, Naruto swerved around large trees and rocks in wide arcs, trying to keep as much forward momentum up as possible. The rolling, silver hills sped past, contrasting eerily with the massive black mountains far beyond that. Blue eyes sparkled as Naruto jumped into a large tree, kicking powerfully off it and sending him sailing high into the air. From his vantage point, Naruto frowned as he saw the distance yet to be covered. With the pace he was currently running compared to how the light was shrinking, it was unlikely he'd make it in time.

Landing, Naruto didn't lose a second of time as he continued his mad dash toward his goal. Jumping a small creek, Naruto looked to the mountain that lay close to where the light shone. It still looked to be several miles away, but that could vary a considerable amount due to the low light.

Reaching the top of another mellow hill, Naruto could see a long stretch of clear ground and had an idea.

**Shunshin (Body Flicker) **involved the user channelling chakra to the extremities and allowing the body a great deal of speed over a distance equal to the amount of chakra used. Now, Naruto lost more chakra than most people had in the first place when performing a simple Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique) so by using that logic, it meant he should be able to jump much further distances than the average Shinobi too.

So forming a half Ram seal, Naruto brought his ocean of chakra forth and unleashed it into his body. The world around him instantly blurred and stretched as the usual tunnel vision began to affect his vision. He strained his eyes to try keep up with everything, but was totally unprepared for the solid connection he made with the stone face as it rushed up to meet him.

Falling backwards from the large hole he made in the solid surface, Naruto wheezed as the air was knocked from him, blood squirting from his nose after being squashed between two very hard surfaces. Dust billowed out from around him, a loud chattering of night animals arising from the dull boom, rather startled by the impact.

Lying dazed on the ground for a moment, Naruto heard the soft screams of the Kyuubi in the back of his mind to get up. Pushing himself up, he cracked his nose back into alignment and looked up. A large hill now stood before him, a whole lot closer than he expected. Looking over his shoulder, he took a guess at how far he had jumped and raised an eyebrow.

He'd seen it but hadn't thought to avoid it as it was close to a kilometer away. Scratching to the top of it, Naruto grinned as he saw he was a great deal closer to the light. Using his newfound knowledge and a little caution in the power of his 'jumps', Naruto used **Shunshin (Body Flicker) **to make it to the mountains in a matter of minutes.

Landing solidly at the base, Naruto heard the dull cry from the Kyuubi inside him to climb up. Scaling the cliff face easily, Naruto reached the top as the source of the blue light spread its tendrils across his face. Looking out over the valley, Naruto's eyes widened.

The whole area was bathed in the unearthly deep blue, the shadows of trees and rocks dancing around as the light above flickered around wildly. The actual light itself seemed to be coming from a strange opening in the clouds above, a deep black hole creating a whirlpool in the milky blue clouds as they spun lazily around it. Occasional flickers of blue lightning shot out from the center of it, licking the surrounding vapours teasingly. As Naruto turned his gaze down though, he spotted a single man with his arms up stretched towards the sky, several strange looking staves embedded handle first into the ground surrounding him. From the way his hands were shaking, it looked like he was battling against the sky above.

Focusing on this person, Naruto jumped over the cliff edge and began sliding down the outside of it before jumping off and running towards the person.

"OI! You there! Hey, what is that thing?"

The man glanced at Naruto before shifting a hand out in his direction. One of his staves seemed to glow blue around the tip and suddenly Naruto was hit by a massive wave of drowsiness. Staggering, Naruto felt his eyes drooping as he saw the man turn back to look at the sky. Trying to wake his sleepy mind, Naruto frowned. "**Genjutsu (Illusionary Techniques)?**"

Bringing a lazy hand up in a half Ram seal, Naruto muttered under his breath, "**Kai (Release).**"

Instantly the spell was broken and Naruto was able to stand. Glaring at the man, Naruto raised a fist menacingly. "Oi, what'd you go and do that for? I just asked you a question!"

The man seemed to gasp and turned to look at him again. Getting a proper look at him now, Naruto raised an eyebrow. The fellow before him was of an average height, but other than that he couldn't tell a single thing about him due to him being so wrapped up in clothing. A massive black cape hung down low over his body, mostly concealing the bandaged torso and massive bulging, black pants quite well. Bandages completely covered both arms and legs, even going all the way down to his feet, a simple pair of sandals being worn under that. A deep green cloth covered his lower face while a deep blue bandana covered his hair. There was even a plate on the front of it like what Naruto had on his forehead, only it had no village markings or otherwise engraved on it.

As Naruto began cautiously approaching him, the man seemed torn between finishing his job and fleeing. He seemed more inclined towards fixing the sky though, so Naruto was able to get within a few feet before stopping.

"So... what is that?"

The man didn't answer, simply forcing his abilities to the limit in an effort to close the sky. Frowning at his lack of answer, Naruto glanced at the hole in the sky again. It was now almost completely gone.

"That thing feels like a dimensional rift. Did you create it?"

That comment finally broke the man's silence as he looked over, concern evident in his soft voice. "Who are you? How did you know that?"

Still wary about the strange man, Naruto offered him a little information. "Uzumaki Naruto. I know what it is because I know what it feels like."

"Uzumaki?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, now tell me, did you make that?"

He saw a tiny shake of the head. "No, I am closing it."

Naruto eyed up the sky again. "So, do you know what dimension that is? Or how to generate one?"

He waited a moment, but then grew to realise he was being ignored again. Looking down at the mysterious man, anger began burning behind his eyes. "Oi! It's not nice to ignore someone! A simple yes or no is all I want, dattebayo!"

Again he heard nothing and began bristling. Taking a step forward, Naruto looked to the sky as a deep rumble ran through the clouds. It seemed whatever had happened had stirred up the air currents upon closure and had drawn in rain. Looking back down, Naruto's eyes widened as he realised the weird man had already grabbed his stuff and started running. "OI! Wait up, dattebayo!"

Dashing after his quarry, Naruto frowned as he made ground on him. While not anything near as fast as Naruto, this guy sure had some speed. Flashing in front of him, Naruto skidded to a stop as he cut off the man's escape route. Ignoring the first few cold drops of rain, Naruto glared into the tiny strip where he could see the strange mage's eyes.

"Alright, I won't ask you again. Do you know how to make one of those dimensional things?"

Pulling a staff from behind him, Naruto growled and dropped into a defensive stance. "Oh, is that how you want to play? Fine, I'll beat the answer out of you."

Charging in, Naruto tested the waters first with some simple **Taijutsu (Body Techniques)**, trying to break the man's guard.

His standard right punch was easily deflected by the flat of the staff, the back of the thing spinning around causing Naruto to bring up his left arm to block the blow. Dipping his head, he guided the handle away, allowing himself to lift off the ground and kick out powerfully for his opponent's kidneys. The mage seemed to realise this just in time though as he jumped, avoiding the main impact of the hit, but still getting blown back from the residual force Naruto inflicted.

Rolling back as he landed, the man then took the offensive and charged at Naruto. Thrusting his staff forward, Naruto swayed to the side, catching the wood under his arm and twisted sharply, wrenching it free from his grasp. Releasing it, Naruto let it fly away to imbed tip first into the solid ground, humming slightly before falling mute from the ever increasing rain.

The match had now turned to fists and feet only, with Naruto and the strange mage exchanging blows at a rate Naruto had yet to see in this world. With the light as dim as it was too, Naruto was forced to keep his eyes peeled as sharp, powerful blows rained down on him from all directions. Gently guiding another fist past his face, Naruto retaliated with a sharp blow of his own, only to have it smack into a hurriedly raised forearm. Frowning at the movement, Naruto reasoned that this guy was leagues above Natsu in hand to hand combat techniques. That may have been cause for a good fight, but right now Naruto needed answers.

Stepping it up by moving faster than the man could follow, Naruto caught an incoming right fist within his own left hand. Pulling the hand through, Naruto overextended the punch, bringing up a powerful fist into the bandaged stomach of his opponent. He let out a pained gasp, his legs going limp. Naruto wasn't finished however and twisted, readjusting his grip on the captured limb and swinging the mage up over his shoulder and slamming him hard into the ground behind him. A forced exhale shot from his opponent's mouth as the air was expelled from his lungs leaving him breathless and weak.

Swinging a leg over him, Naruto sat down forcefully on the man's stomach and ripped off his head gear. Under all that clothing, Naruto saw that the man was no older than twenty. Spiky blue hair poked out at unruly angles, looking like it had never been tamed by a brush. Dark brown eyes were clenched up in pain, his right eye having a strange red tattoo above and below it. The bottom half looked much like a deformed candle holder, the top half more like a strange, simply designed vine.

Looking down at him with a hard gaze, Naruto ignored the rain falling around him, focusing on the gasping man beneath him. "Alright. Now, tell me, what's your name and can you create that thing I saw before?"

Wheezing, the man said nothing and looked away. Growling, Naruto bounced down hard on his gut, blowing the little amount of air he had regained straight back out again. "Answer me!"

Coughing painfully, the man finally looked up to him. "W-why do you want to know this?"

Calming a little now that contact had been made, Naruto settled for a frown. "Since you know about other dimensions, I guess you wouldn't be too shocked if I said I was from one."

The man frowned and looked at Naruto's whiskered face. "I don't believe you. I have never seen you in either world before."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto pondered this. If what this guy said was true, then it meant that whatever dimension that was just closed wasn't his home, Naruto then knew for a fact that this guy had never been to the Elemental Nations before. So it seemed there was a third world floating around out there somewhere. Clearing his thoughts, Naruto shook his head. "No, I'm not from either of these worlds you're talking about. I'm from a completely different one. What I want to know is, are you able to open another portal like this, just to a completely different dimension?"

The man's eyes opened slightly as he heard Naruto's story. "So you aren't from either Earthland or Edolas?"

Naruto frowned. "I don't even know what worlds they are. I'm from a place called the Elemental Nations and I gotta find a way home as soon as I can."

The man's eyes thinned. "You're currently in Earthland. Edolas is the parallel universe that runs beside it."

Naruto shrugged. "Great. Now that I know where I am, I can totally tell my friends back home where I landed. Now, the important part. Can you generate one of those things?"

Looking up at the sky, the mage shook his head. "No, it is generated from the other side by a machine. I can only close them."

Sitting back in frustration, Naruto crossed his arms. "Well that's just perfect. Do you know if it can open up portals to other worlds?"

The man beneath him shrugged. "I don't know."

Sighing, Naruto looked to the sky. "Well, can I somehow get sent... there..."

Dropping off to the side, Naruto was asleep before he hit the ground. Struggling to sit up, the blue haired man grasped his stomach where Naruto had punched him. Wincing, he picked up the staff that was lodged in the ground only a few feet from them. Using it to pull himself up, he looked down at Naruto as he slept peacefully in the mud.

"You might be able to get there, but I cannot let you go. I cannot let them harvest any magical power from here."

Letting the heavy rain wash his clothes somewhat, the man turned and began limping away.

XxXxXxX

Groaning, Naruto began to stir and rolled over. His senses seemed dull and he was vaguely aware of rocks poking into his skin as he moved. The insides of his eyelids grew bright as light touched them, further rousing him. Finally opening them, the first thing Naruto saw was a frog sitting in front of his face. It jumped away as Naruto pulled himself up, cringing as the corks in his muscles that the rocks had produced cried out. Looking around groggily, Naruto inspected the area. It wasn't all that much to look at, a couple of trees dropped around the area with tufts of rough grasses breaking up the rocky ground.

Wondering how he got here, Naruto stood and looked to the sky. The remains of some rain clouds were drifting away, a bright blue sky being left behind. Frowning, Naruto scratched his head. Something was crying out to him in the back of his mind, trying to tell him what had happened, but it was just out of reach.

Casting another look around the area, Naruto saw some dried scuff marks, the holes rounded out by the rain that had seemingly just cleared. This started bringing back memories of a fight with some weird guy...

Looking off to his side, Naruto predicted that there would be a circular hole just beside him and was proven correct. Growling as the memories finally came back, Naruto spun around and kicked at a rock behind him. The object shattered around his foot but he paid it no heed as he berated himself.

'Damnit, I was so close to answers and I go and drop my guard! What am I, an academy student? I could have been killed! Wake up to yourself Naruto!'

Looking at the sun, Naruto guessed it was getting close to noon. The fight had been around about midnight last night so that meant that weird mage had a good twelve hour head start. Cursing, he kicked another rock before calming himself. Getting cranky now wouldn't do any good. Feeling an unwanted tug at his mind though, Naruto groaned. From the way the sentences seemed to be flowing, the beast within seemed to have been shouting for a while now too.

"_**...pathetic excuse for a lumbering pile of rotting flesh! I mean, how can one being actually be so completely brainless? To be caught off guard like that while winning; I'd slit my own throat afterwards in shame – oh, you can hear me finally you useless meat bag?"**_

Naruto sighed. "Yes Kyuubi, I can hear you."

The voice of massive fox growled. _**"Good, let me tell you now then that you have to be the most incompetent creature I have ever had the displeasure of not being able to squash between my toes."**_

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Thanks. I love you too."

The Kyuubi snorted. _**"Don't try to attach an emotion you creatures created to a being of my status. Now, while you were dreaming of soft toys and cuddles, I tried to think of any other way to get your useless form back home. This rift your fellow meat bag spoke of seems like it's the most promising way of getting us home so you have to find him. Do you think you can manage this or will you just screw it up again?"**_

Naruto sighed again as the ever flowing barrage of insults continued. "Yes, I've got this. You just keep doing your thing and I'll keep doing mine."

Hearing a satisfied grunt within the regions of his mind, Naruto realised he said something right for a change. _**"Good. Now go hunt him down and don't talk to me again until you find him. So get moving!"**_

The Kyuubi then shut off communications with a near audible snap. Sighing, Naruto ran a hand through his hair and had another quick look around, but saw no tracks remaining of the mystery man. The rain hadn't helped preserve any either. Biting his inner lip, Naruto considered his options. Try chase the guy down, go back to Erza, or head back and look for clues at Fairy Tail.

Chasing him down was all but impossible unless he was a specialist scouter, which he wasn't. Erza still had his clone so it looked like he was homeward bound. Checking the sun for directions, Naruto turned and ran for the exit to the valley, cursing one more time as he left.

XxXxXxX

"Naruto? What are you doing outside? I thought you came back with Erza?"

Skidding to a stop outside the gates, Naruto looked over to see Cana relaxing in the sun, barrel of booze ever-present by her side. Shaking his head, Naruto walked over.

"Nah, that was a clone. I had to go check something out. Would you know where old man Makarov is? I gotta ask him a question."

Cana shrugged and lifted her barrel to her lips. "Probably inside sitting on the counter like usual."

Nodding his thanks, Naruto jogged inside, only to be sent flying by an airborne Gray, sans clothes. Smacking into a pillar, they both slid to the ground before Naruto kicked Gray into the roof with a growl. "What the hell are you doing? Watch out for people!"

Hearing an annoying laugh, Naruto looked over to see Natsu pointing at Gray as he hung over a truss. "Ha! That's what you get for trying to badmouth my flames, blue balls!"

Turning to face the teen, Naruto levelled a gaze at him. "Oi, does that mean you threw him at me?"

Looking at Naruto, Natsu grinned. "Yeah, we tag teamed him real good!"

Faster than most people could see, Naruto replaced Natsu's position and Natsu replaced part of the wall's position. Lowering his elbow, Naruto snorted at Natsu's twitching form embedded into the wall. "Next time involve me at the beginning of the fight, not halfway through."

Hearing a squeak of acceptance, Naruto turned and stomped towards the front, ignoring the chuckles from other guild members. Seeing the hideous blue and orange antenna hat, Naruto made his way over. Upon seeing him, the little man raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, Naruto, you decided to come back?"

Slipping into a stool beside the Master, Naruto grumbled to himself before speaking up. "Yeah, I would have been home sooner if I hadn't slept for so long." Rolling a shoulder painfully at the memory of the hard ground, he continued. "I actually want to ask you a question about someone. I fought this guy last night and the bastard put me to sleep with some magic thing. I thought you might know who he was."

Raising an eyebrow, Makarov inclined his head slightly. "Oh really? What did he look like?"

Frowning, Naruto recalled the memory. "Well, when I first saw him, he was completely covered in bandages from his neck to his toes. Big baggy pants, weird head getup, big black cape, a bunch of big staff things. After I ripped that off though, he had this dull blue –"

"That'll be enough Naruto, I know who you're looking for."

Looking up at the old man as he quickly cut him off, Naruto widened his eyes. "Really? Who is he?"

The Master smirked. "That would be Mystogan, a mage of this guild. You missed him by a couple of hours."

Eyes widening further, Naruto stood up and slapped his palms to the desk. "Really? He belongs to Fairy Tail? How much did I miss him by? Where did he go?"

Turning to look at the blond leering over him, Makarov's eyes hardened. "Why should I tell you anything about him?"

Leaning back, Naruto frowned. "While in jail, I sensed a dimensional thing like what I came through. You can even ask Erza, she saw it. This guy – Mystogan – was there, closing it up for some reason. I tried asking him what it was but he wouldn't answer me. He tried running but I caught him. Long story short, we fought, I beat him, he answered one or two questions, then knocked me out with some stupid sleeping thing."

Leaning back in, Naruto looked into the Master's eyes. "I must find him and work out what he's doing. Whatever that was may be my only hope of getting home."

Hearing a laugh above him, Naruto looked up while Makarov let out a sigh. "Another weakling butting around in Mystogan's business? Didn't I already tell the guild to keep their noses away from where it's not wanted?"

A sneering blond man hung over the railings from above, staring down at Naruto. A jagged, lightning bolt like scar ran down over his right eye, splitting his eyebrow in two. A pair of weird plastic ear muffs covered the sides of his head, seemingly stuck on by suction. A single metal spike stuck out from the center of each muff too. A dark overcoat covered his shoulders, trimmed with what looked like feathers of some kind. Beneath that, he wore a dirty green, long sleeved button up top with darker, moss green coloured patches dotting the material.

Taking a step back, Naruto frowned. "Who are you? And why would you care?"

His grin widened as he stared down at the defiant ninja. "Oh–ho, we have ourselves a feisty noob? You picked up an interesting one this time around gramps."

"Gramps?" Looking over at Makarov, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That guy up there is your grandkid?"

Ignoring Naruto, Makarov looked up at the man. "Shut up Laxus. He's not a part of the guild. Not my problem."

Eyes widening, the newly named Laxus turned his attention back to Naruto. "Not even a part of the guild hey? What gives you the right to barge in and ask these questions then?"

Naruto glared up at the obnoxious man. "Why would you care? You're obviously feeling way too good about yourself up there to even come down and ask me face to face."

Flicking an eye to Makarov, Laxus smirked. "Maybe you just don't have the guts to come up?"

Now, this completely chewed at Naruto the wrong way, but the glance the infuriating man shot at his grandfather hadn't eluded him. Neither had Makarov's eye now tracking his movements. Something was obviously wrong about that, and jumping up there could result in a serious fight. So taking a breath, Naruto calmed himself as much as possible and looked away from the man. His indignant snort did wonders for Naruto's peace of mind however and allowed him to get on with asking Makarov his questions.

"So, Makarov, can you tell me where Mystogan has gone? I need to find out if he has a way home for me."

Staring at the boy for a while, the old man seemed to run the request around in his mind. Seeing this, Naruto laid on a little pressure. "If he does, that just means I can go home sooner and that I'm out of your hair faster."

The Master never had a chance to answer though as a loud boom sounded out behind Naruto. Not even giving him the chance to move, a heavy blow caught the back of Naruto's neck and sent him rocketing across the bar, slamming into the wall behind with a massive crash. Laxus stood with his fist outstretched, an angry smile on his face.

"Didn't I tell you not to ask questions? You'd do well not to ignore me next time."

A kunai however found itself against his throat from behind. Looking over at the mess in the wall, Laxus found it to somehow be the remains of a bar stool. Standing up on his tip toes, Naruto spoke into his ear. "I don't care for what you want. Grandkid of Makarov or not, I _will_ beat you down if you try that again."

If anything, the crazy man's grin widened.

"ENOUGH!"

Looking over, the duo saw Makarov glaring at them. "I will not stand for this kind of fighting in my guild."

Snorting, Laxus broke free of Naruto's hold and in a burst of what looked like lightning, shot back up to the balcony above. Ignoring his ability, Naruto twirled the kunai around, slipping it back into its pouch smoothly.

He then had to resist the urge to fidget as Makarov started talking. "Naruto, I do not want to see any more fights of that type here or else I'll be forced to ban you from the guild. However, I have considered your request and it seems like a very possible way for you to get home. Mystogan took a job over at Magic Mountain. Good luck catching him though."

Turning, Naruto nodded his thanks before dashing out of the guild. He didn't even notice the complete absence of noise as he left, the ever rowdy members shocked into a rare silence. Mirajane then poked her head around from behind the corner of the bar, having come back from the little girls room.

Looking at the hole in the wall, then at the silent guild, and then at the clearly agitated guild master, the woman pursed her lips. "Uh, what happened?"

The Master just grumbled something before grabbing his half full cup beside him and downing the entire lot in a single mouthful. He then jumped off the bench top and walked away, muttering something about 'hotheaded youths these today'.

Hearing a thump beside her, the girl looked across and found Gray had dropped to the bench, sporting a nice shiner. "That was Naruto. Him and Laxus had a disagreement."

Mirajane's eyes widened. "Oh no! No one was hurt I hope?"

Gray shrugged. "It didn't look like it, but they moved too fast for us to really make anything out. First Laxus appears out of nowhere and punches Naruto into the wall," he motioned to the destroyed timber, "but then Naruto is standing behind him with a knife to his throat."

Mirajane frowned as she heard this. "So they were serious about it I take it?"

Gray nodded. "Sure looked like it. Naruto might be strong, but I dunno how he'd fair against Laxus. I mean, he _is _one of the top three strongest in the guild."

Looking around, Mirajane tried to see the blond. "So where is he?"

Gray pointed at the door. "He asked Master a few questions about Mystogan before chasing after him for some reason."

Gasping, Mirajane held her hands to her chest. "But he might miss his daily diary entry if he stays out too long! Oh, I hope he catches him quickly."

Turning to face away from Mira, Gray stifled a snort. "Weak."

XxXxXxX

Running across the roofs, Naruto pushed himself to make up time. The unfortunate encounter with that blond excuse for a static shock had wasted valuable time. He had to catch up to Mystogan and try head him off at Magic Mountain. There was one small problem though.

Slowing to a stop, Naruto brought a hand to his chin. He actually had no idea where this place was. He could turn back and ask for directions but his pride probably couldn't take a blow like that. Running to the edge of the roof, Naruto looked down for any shops that may be able to help. There was a door chime beneath him however and Naruto looked down to see a familiar shock of bright blue. What perfect timing. Jumping down, Naruto smirked as Levy let out a small squeal.

"Levy-chan! How are you? Can I ask you something?"

"Naruto!"

Jumping him before he was ready, Levy gave him a quick hug before standing back. "I'm so happy you're safe! When Erza told me you left her with a clone, I was worried about you."

Laughing awkwardly, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Uh, sorry about that then. I'll make it up to you later. Can I ask you this question now?"

"Oi, who are you?"

Resisting the mounting urge to facepalm, Naruto looked up at the latest interruption.

"Oh, forgive me, this is Naruto! You haven't met yet have you?"

"No, not as of yet, though we _have_ heard a whole lot about him."

Either ignoring the barb or not even realising it, Levy turned back to Naruto and motioned at the two men behind her.

"Naruto! Please meet Jet and Droy. They are my teammates on Shadow Gear!"

The first one, Jet, was a thin, slightly taller than average guy who had the most wonderfully orange hair Naruto had ever seen. There wasn't much to show of it though as most of his head was covered by this massive brown top hat, the unusual headpiece covered with fuzzy beige stripes running its length. A matching brown, elbow length overcoat hung from his shoulders, the trimming of it being the same fuzzy beige material as his hat. Under that was a purple button-up shirt with a high popped collar, the top two buttons being undone to improve his swag, or so Naruto guessed. His pants were these strange bunched up things that kind of blended into these knee high black boots. An odd get up, but overall not too bad to look at.

On Levy's other side stood Droy. He had a build comparable to his friend, his height much the same too. His hair however was a deep black and the back of it was flicked up and over his head, much like the tail of a scorpion. His clothing was much plainer than his teammate's too, simply wearing a long, white sleeved shirt and a set of dark green, checkered pants. The only items of any interest were these two hooped, yellow belts that hung from each shoulder down and around the opposite hip, crossing over his chest.

The main thing Naruto noticed after he had taken in their appearance was the expression on their faces. Their eyes seemed to be glowing red and they had a dark aura surrounding them, their angry gaze being directed right at the blond. Taking a step back, Naruto looked at them in confusion.

"Uh, hey, how are you? What's going on?"

They leaned in slightly over Levy and each placed a hand on her shoulders, the oblivious girl smiling happily as her team mates introduced themselves. "Oh, not much. _Our _team was just in stocking up after a mission. It was tough, so _Levy _suggested _we_ treat _ourselves _to a special something, much like a date you could say. With Levy. _Alone._"

Naruto switched his gaze back and forth between the two of them as they continued to leer at him. They clearly had a crush on the girl, but for some reason she seemed completely oblivious to it. Snorting, Naruto shook his head. If that was him, he'd _never_ miss something as blatant as that. It seemed the hug she had given him had riled them up, so Naruto thought it best to get past this obstruction and get on with finding Mystogan.

"Uh, that's nice, I wouldn't want to intrude then so I'll make it quick. Levy, do you know where I could find Magic Mountain?"

The girl's eyes widened as both men behind her continued to grumble to themselves. "Why would you want to go there?"

Naruto wondered if he should tell them. Seeing no reason not to, he shrugged. "I was chasing down Mystogan. I think he might have a way to get me home."

Levy's eyes widened and she clasped her hands to her chest. "Really? Oh, that's great! I hope you find something."

Her voice then dropped an octave and Naruto noticed a hint of red grace her cheeks. "Uh, but before you go, you will come back and say goodbye to me - uh - us, yeah?"

Feeling the men behind her lean in annoyingly, Naruto rolled his eyes at them. Placing a hand on her head, he gave her a wide smile. "Of course! So, can you tell me where this place is?"

Nodding from under his hand, Levy stuttered out the directions. "Uh, it's actually an abandoned amusement park, west of Hargeon Town. It was deserted after reports of it being haunted though."

A shiver ran through Naruto's spine when he heard that. "H-haunted, you say?"

Levy nodded. "Yeah, but I think it's just a stupid myth to cover up why they went broke. The town itself is south of here, so head in that direction till you hit it then get directions from there. It'll be easy for you to find. You could even take the train if you wanted."

Naruto nodded. "Maybe on the way back, I gotta get there fast so I'll just run."

Hearing a snort behind Levy, Naruto looked up at Jet. "You? Faster than a train? I'm the only mage in Fairy Tail who's that fast!"

Naruto dropped an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Jet dropped his hand to his hips and began his boasting. "Yeah, you heard right. My magic is all about speed. I can run faster than anyone I have ever met!"

Not quite sure what to make of that, Naruto stared at him for a few moments. "Um, cool? Anyway, I gotta be going. Catch you later Levy!"

Turning, Naruto took off down the street. The speed in which he did it too took the air from Jet's chest as he watched the blond speed away. Droy leaned in after he had disappeared and whispered into his friend's ear, "Dude, he really might be telling the truth."

Frowning, Jet shook his head. "No, he can't be! I'll challenge him to a race when he gets back. That'll set things straight."

"You guys coming or not?"

Turning, the men saw Levy wandering away, waving at them as she walked. Casting one more glance in the direction Naruto disappeared, they ran over to the petite girl.

XxXxXxX

Heading south, Naruto aimed for the train station. 'Mystogan probably caught the train there, so I should be able to make up the lost time on foot. All I gotta do is follow the tracks.'

Seeing the rails, Naruto dashed around the building and then accelerated to full speed. He could make out a faint puff of smoke in the distance and guessed it to be the most recent train to have left the station. So sticking close to the tracks, Naruto dipped his head and pushed.

After about ten minutes, Naruto caught up with the train and drew alongside the first carriage he came to. He looked in through the windows to try spot Mystogan but saw no one. Dashing forward, he checked the next few carriages but still found them absent of the robed man. The shocked look of the passengers somewhat amused him though as they saw him run level with the train. Reaching the last carriage, Naruto noticed a few people had actually moved up from the last few so they could continue to watch him. Doing his best to look around them, Naruto sighed. No Mystogan.

Glancing back into the carriage, Naruto just managed to register a large camera being pointed at his face before a blinding light went off in his eyes. Instantly the world turned to dots and a rock he'd have easily dodged took advantage of his lack of sight and tripped him over. Slamming into the ground, Naruto began flipping, sliding and rolling along the coarse ground as his momentum left him. Finally sliding to a stop, Naruto let out a cry of anger and pain as he looked down at himself.

Blood seeped through his glorious jacket and pants, the tough material shielding him from much of the extra damage but unable to prevent everything. Many small cuts and grazes covered him, but those small things didn't bother him as they were already healing. What bothered him was that his only set of clothes were now completely covered in dust and growing patches of blood. Standing up, he dusted himself down as best he could before sighing and looking at the receding train. This day was just going from bad to worse with every hour that passed. Beginning the chase again, Naruto only hoped that didn't mean the rest of the day was going to become hell.

XxXxXxX

Reaching Hargeon Town well ahead of the train, Naruto ran around to the front of the station and looked around. He was standing amongst a bunch of quaint houses, tightly packed and rather difficult to see through. Looking over, Naruto saw a tall mountain towards the back of the town with what appeared to be a walkway and lookout about halfway up it. Jumping to the roofs, Naruto easily made his way over before running up the rendered side of it and vaulting over the railing. Now with a reasonable view, Naruto took everything in. It appeared to be a large town based around the ocean and business done with it if the large port was anything to go by. Houses ran away from the lookout, reaching right out to meet the water. A tall light house stuck out proudly at point, currently asleep as it waited for dark.

Leaning over the railing, Naruto tried to see if there were any useful shops around. He frowned as the sun reflected off the roofs making it hard to see clearly. Hearing a couple of voices behind him though, Naruto turned to see three mid-teen girls walking his way, chatting merrily about something, music if the occasional humming was any indication. Raising a hand, Naruto ran over to them.

"Uh, hey, excuse me! I was just wondering if any of you girls would know where Magic Mountain is?"

Taking in his dusty and bloodied appearance, the girls took a step back, not quite sure what to make of the dirty blond boy. "Um... no?"

Frowning, Naruto clicked his tongue. "Well, would you know any shops you could point me at that would know?"

Looking at each other nervously, the tallest of the three spoke up. "You might be able to find something out from the magic shop... he knows where most things are in this area. It's in the center of the town."

Smiling, Naruto nodded his thanks. "Oh, that's great! Catch ya later then!"

Turning, he then ran towards the cliff edge and heard a startled scream from behind him as he leapt to the rail. "NO DON'T DO IT!"

Sticking firmly to it, Naruto looked over his shoulder. "Don't what?"

Seeing the girls and a few other onlookers gathering around, Naruto frowned as the tall girl that spoke stretch out her hand to him. "N-no need to jump! Whatever it is, it's not worth it."

"Huh?" Turning, Naruto gave them a confused look. "What do you mean?"

The group gave him an exasperated gaze before one of the three girls spoke up. "Jump to your death of course!"

"Oh!" Looking over his shoulder to the large drop behind him, Naruto laughed. "Nothing to worry about there, that wouldn't kill me. Thanks for the concern though!"

And before any of the gathered crowd could say anything, Naruto tipped over the edge backwards and disappeared from view. The collective cry of disbelief followed him as a staccato of footsteps rushed to the edge as everyone looked over to see the fate of the young man. Their eyes all widened in disbelief though as they saw him charging down the vertical wall before jumping from that to land on a roof and jumping away into town. Sharing a collective look, the group shook their heads in amazement. "I've never seen a mage like that before. He must be from Fairy Tail or some big guild like that."

XxXxXxX

Finally back on track, Naruto jumped through the town before landing in the grass plains behind the city and taking off at a good pace. The owner of the magic store had been immensely helpful, having even cleaned his clothes with a special spell he had for sale. He gave Naruto an accurate description of where Magic Mountain was and even confirmed that he saw a strange man covered in clothes from head to toe walking through the streets earlier on. His demeanour changed though when Naruto told him he had no money to buy anything with. Naruto quickly found himself outside with a solid push to the back and the door closing behind him with a cheerful tinkle of the bell. He had shrugged, assuming the man must have forgotten to do something important and closed shop early.

Jumping a rock shaped like a set of boobs, Naruto marked off his first check point. Grinning, Naruto picked up his pace. Mystogan was well within his sights now and hopefully, home was too.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – sup peeps. Sorry for the delay with this, but life happened. And a moment of writers block. I have many reasons I could justify myself with, but I bet half of you don't even read this far. _

_I called Mystogan's mission Magic Mountain too because that was the only writing I could read on the sheet of paper he grabbed from the quest board._

_Vandenbz with the beta again and Wyrd Darcnyzz once again helping me with my grammar._

_So yeah... potatoes._

_Lanky Nathan_


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto landed with a thump and looked around. Suppressing a shiver, the blond tried not to stare into the shadowed faces of the abandoned clown rides. Walking through the cracked and decaying entrance of the abandoned amusement park, Naruto stepped around the various fallen letters that had once comprised the greeting 'Magic Mountain'. The shadow that it created stretched out over three times its original height of twenty feet in the falling afternoon sun.

Absently drawing a kunai for reassurance, Naruto began tip-toeing his way deeper into the various alleyways. Ignoring the feeling that he was being watched, Naruto looked around for any sign of Mystogan. A cold breeze blew through the town, echoing through termite eaten holes in an eerie, forlorn cry that instantly gave Naruto goosebumps.

'Come on you walking clothes pile, where are you?'

Looking above him, the rusted tracks of some airborne rollercoaster squeaked in the wind, tiny pieces of brown being plucked from the corroding metal and being blown away in the air. Turning his gaze downward and off to the side, Naruto spied a sign that stated the attraction that was attached to it was the 'Hall of Mirrors'. Walking past that, he heard a sound from the stall opposite of it. Checking the name of this one, Naruto resisted the urge to cry out in frustration. This one was called 'House of Horrors'.

Hearing the noise within again, Naruto took a hesitant step forward and looked through the wide open door from a distance. The fact the door had been fashioned in the shape of a large mouth with enormous teeth did nothing to rest his fears as he stared into the inky blackness behind it. Swallowing, Naruto looked around in hope that the noise he heard had perhaps come from somewhere else. Unfortunately, as he looked, the noise came right out at him; a sound much like a ragged breath being exhaled.

Resigning himself to his fate, Naruto began his dead man's walk.

He could stare down the most powerful men in existence without flinching. He had looked death in the face many a time and laughed while giving it the finger. He had the most powerful of all created beings nestled within his stomach. Yet give him the possibility of a ghost and Naruto's legs became wet noodles.

Stepping into the blackness, Naruto felt the lack of light swallow him. Eyes widening, Naruto held his kunai up as he crept into the tunnel. Looking around, he only prayed that Mystogan was just being creepy and doing his quest in here for some reason.

Hearing the ragged breath near him, Naruto took a step forward and ran face first into a wall. Rubbing his nose and cursing the lack of light, Naruto turned and promptly screeched in fright as a disfigured face jumped out to greet him with a shrill cry. Reflexes took over and Naruto's hand flashed out in less time than it took to blink, slashing the creature's head clean in half.

Sparks shot everywhere and metal bolts clattered to the floor as the decapitated head continued to laugh mockingly at his fright. Holding a hand to his chest, Naruto tried his best to still his rapidly beating heart and near hyperventilating breaths. Hearing the noise yet again, Naruto held his shaking hand up and peeked around the corner. Seeing nothing, Naruto stepped forward.

Now getting deeper into the pits of the horror house, Naruto could hear some soft breaths before one large ragged one would sound out. Worrying his bottom lip, Naruto turned yet another corner and saw a softly flickering light a few feet from him, the dim light grubby from lack of cleaning and looking like it would burn out at any second. Walking up to it, Naruto checked around it cautiously before a hand jumped out from the darkness and ensnared his arm.

From the outside of the house, it looked like the roof itself erupted as Naruto screamed blue murder, his chakra boosted jump sending him through the ceiling like it was tissue paper. Landing outside, Naruto gave a mighty shake of his arm and the sparking hand attached to him was flung away into the sky, disappearing quickly into the dimming light.

Staring wide-eyed at the spot, Naruto tried again to calm his heaving chest.

"What are you doing here?"

Screaming for the third time in as many minutes, Naruto spun around with his kunai outstretched, only for it to come into solid contact with a wooden staff. Naruto stared at the form behind him, his fear filled brain taking a few moments to realise the monster was in fact the man he had been searching for. His shoulders seemed to be shaking slightly too, but Naruto couldn't tell if it was because Mystogan was scared of the immense reflexes he had exhibited once the blond sensed him, or if he was just laughing.

Coughing a little, Naruto took his kunai and slipped it away. "So –"

Clearing his throat, Naruto attempted the sentence again after his voice box betrayed him and blew out to an unsightly high note. "So, what are you doing in this place?"

If Naruto could see the man's face, he was almost certain he would have raised his eyebrow. "I believe that was my question to you. I am here on a mission. You however, are playing in an amusement stall."

Looking over his shoulder in immense distaste, Naruto shivered. "That was not amusing and I was not playing. I was searching for you and I thought I heard something in there so I went looking."

Mystogan snorted. "As much as it humors me to think I'd be in a place like that during a mission, I can assure you I was not. What you heard was no doubt old mechanics whose Lacrima has yet to die."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Lacrima?"

The covered head nodded. "Indeed. They are stones which hold magical energy and power things from them."

"Oh." Taking one last calming breath, Naruto sighed as he realised it wasn't a ghost or anything like that. Composing himself, Naruto frowned and looked up at the slightly taller man. "So, why didn't you put me to sleep as soon as you found me?"

Mystogan pointed out towards Magnolia. "The Master sent word that you were coming and that you were a friend in need of help. In that light, I apologise for when we first met."

Naruto raised a hand to his head and smiled awkwardly. "Awww, well, it's ok. It's not like you knew who I was or anything."

Dropping the arm, Naruto then became serious. "So the reason I am here is because I think you can get me home. You know something about that weird portal in the sky and I think it might be my ticket back to my dimension."

Naruto then noticed some movements then that indicated Mystogan was becoming defensive. "While I know what that was in the sky and to where it leads, I do not know if it is able to break through to your own dimension."

Naruto frowned at this. He was being rather difficult over the subject. Crossing his arms, he tried another question. "So what's your deal with closing them? They're just holes in the sky."

Mystogan shook his head. "No, they are more than that, though I really do not wish to elaborate."

Getting cranky, Naruto pointed a finger at him. "Dude, what is your problem? All I wanna know is what it is and how do I make one that can send me home! It's not like I'm asking you to reveal your deepest dirtiest secrets, dattebayo!"

The robed man sighed as Naruto fumed. Turning an eye to the pouting blond, Mystogan shook his head. "Actually, that is a rather big secret I have been keeping. If I am to tell you anything though, you must swear on your honor you will not tell another single person. Remember, the only reason I am willing to tell you this is because the Master requested I help you and the fact that you already come from another dimension."

Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Naruto nodded. "I swear, I'll never tell no one."

Sighing again, Mystogan looked around. "That hole in the sky... it is called an Anima. It was developed by the other world of Edolas because that world has a limited supply of magic. Earthland has an unlimited supply, so the Anima steals magic from this world."

Not quite seeing the problem, Naruto shrugged. "So? Why can't this world just give Edolas some?"

Mystogan shook his head. "No, that would be a very bad idea. Firstly, the king of Edolas has grown incredibly power hungry in his chase for magic and holds a dictatorship over what is left. Any more would only add to his strength. Secondly, Anima can only take magic from this world in a solid form to be converted into a Lacrima. If this was used over, say, a town or settlement, that entire village and its people would cease to exist."

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard this. "Alright, that's a fair reason." He then turned a thoughtful gaze to the sky. "Could you still send me there though? Through one of those Anima things before it sucks anyone up?"

Mystogan shook his head again. "No. For an Anima to be big enough to allow transport between worlds, it would have already have needed to be large enough to absorb the surrounding material. And I will not let one get that big, no matter where it's located."

Frowning unhappily, Naruto really wasn't pleased with the answer but understood his position. Turning a thoughtful eye to Mystogan, Naruto then frowned. "So why do you know so much about this place and how to close them?"

The man didn't say anything and simply turned away. Watching him as he continued to walk away, Naruto snapped his fingers as the answer came to him. "You're from there aren't you!"

Mystogan faltered ever so slightly in his stride and that was plenty enough of a confirmation for Naruto. Smiling, Naruto ran up beside him and dropped a hand onto his shoulder. "Well, never fear, I said I'd never tell anyone so your secret is safe with me."

Raising his arms behind his head, Naruto then started looking around as Mystogan continued walking deeper into the abandoned park. "So, you _sure_ there's no way to make me an Anima to get me home from here?"

Mystogan stopped and looked under a raised attraction. "No. There is nothing."

Naruto looked down at him. "Not even if I knew the exact location of where I came through?"

Straightening, Mystogan looked around. "No. We do not have the tools required."

Naruto watched as the man walked over to the other side of the street and looked under yet another stall. "Do you know how to make it though? Like, what if we built one here? Improvised with what we have."

Naruto could have sworn he heard the man huff in annoyance. "No, I do not know how to build one. Operate, yes. Build, no."

Naruto fell silent as he thought that over. "So... there's nothing we can do?"

"No."

Ignoring the sharpness to the answer, Naruto pouted. "Well that sucks. I need to get home!"

Sighing in exasperation, Mystogan looked over at Naruto. "I apologise for not have the answer to your problems. However, you standing here complaining isn't helping anyone."

Growling, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, do you know anyone who might be able to get me home?"

Rubbing his forehead through the slit in his head gear, Mystogan nursed a budding headache. "No. I know of no one, nor anything in this world that could send you home. There is nothing to say that there isn't some way to get you home, I just do not have the answer you seek."

Groaning, Naruto dropped to the ground and looked at the sky. "Awww, and I thought I was so close to getting home too! This sucks!"

Gazing at the dark night clouds that were gathering overhead, Naruto glanced down when he heard footsteps receding. Seeing Mystogan look down at a sheet of paper in his hands, Naruto jumped up and ran over curiously. "So what is that?"

Mystogan rolled it up and tucked it away before Naruto could see it properly. "That was the mission slip."

Waiting for more information, Naruto grew disappointed with the lack of elaboration. "So... what you gotta do?"

Turning, Naruto realised the patient man had his limits. "It does not concern you. This is my mission, I will complete it and then I will collect the reward. That is all you need know. Now, please leave me be and go back to the guild. I have helped you all I can and I would appreciate it if you left me in peace now."

Watching as the man came suspiciously close to stomping away, Naruto looked over to the horizon as the last few rays of light disappeared. Shrugging, Naruto could take a hint. Turning, he made his way back through the creepy streets. It was too late to do anything now, so he'd set up camp and then head out in the morning.

Shivering, Naruto then rubbed his arm as a cold chill blew across him. As a trained ninja, he was told never to ignore his instincts, and currently they were quite loudly shouting that he was being watched. They had been the whole time he had been in this horrible place, but now they were extra loud. Taking a breath, Naruto then whipped around with his eyes wide. "Alright you spooky bastard, where are you hiding?"

Nothing moved except for a slight gust of wind which blew up a puff of dust. Frowning, Naruto checked the area again before turning and making his way out.

XxXxXxX

Settling down, Naruto leant against a tree and poked the small fire in front of him with a long stick. He had managed to find a deer and turn it into his dinner without too much fuss. Now satisfied, Naruto was left to ponder his thoughts as he digested his meal. 'There was definitely something creepy in that place that didn't want me there. I'm just glad to be out. Shame Mystogan couldn't help me any more than give me a few details though. Interesting, but useless. Maybe I could convince him to let me hang around with him when he goes looking for another Anima? I might be able to work something out. Or he might think again and try send me over... seems like a good plan! I'll go see him now.'

Standing with a smile on his face, Naruto turned and looked over at the eerie, dark carnival. A little ghost eye was nothing if it meant he could get home. Grabbing a well burning branch, Naruto jogged over to the entrance. He looked around for any sign of the robed man and sighed when he saw nothing.

Now that he was closer to the accursed place, a lot of his bravado seemed to have vanished. Stupid ghosts.

Swallowing, Naruto resolved himself and stepped into the main street. He looked around cautiously as strange echoing calls surrounded him. It could have been passed off as the wind through the walls if there had been any wind. As it stood though, there was not a breath and yet the noise continued. Holding his arms to himself, Naruto shivered as the temperature dropped. While the burning stick was nice, it didn't give off nearly enough heat to warm him. Cupping a hand to his mouth, Naruto called out hesitantly. "Mystogan? You there somewhere? I want to ask you another question!"

The soft, hollow cries were all that replied and Naruto dropped his head as he looked around. Taking a breath, he tried to calm himself and looked out for any clothes shaped like a human. "Alright Naruto, just breathe. It's just the wind. Just the wind. Nothing scary."

He then jumped when he heard a thump ahead of him. Hearing a grunt that sounded a lot like Mystogan, Naruto ran forward. Rounding a corner, Naruto saw Mystogan standing in the middle of a street with a staff out, looking around cautiously. Breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto held a hand up. "There you are! I was beginning to think you had left. So, what are you do-"

Not given the time to even think of a **Kawarimi (Body Replacement)**, a solid iron bar smashed into the back of Naruto's head. Mind spinning from the shock, Naruto stumbled forward before screaming out in pain and holding his head. "DAMNIT! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

Glaring back around behind him, Naruto saw the bar lying on the ground. Tears pricked his eyes as the pain covered his cranium and all Naruto could think of was to inflict pain on whatever it was that hurt him. Hearing a movement off in the shadows, Naruto whipped his furious glare over and tried to see anything. "That how you wanna do this huh? Let's see how you like it when someone smacks your head with a pole!"

Running over to it, Naruto picked the large thing up. "Here, try it!"

Hearing a nervous shuffle move away, Naruto zeroed in on that point and swung. Letting out an effort filled cry, the bar shot away from his hands like a bullet, spinning so fast it looked like a giant, deadly Frisbee. Whether it hit anyone or not was unknown though since the amount of noise it created as it mowed down several attraction stands was enormous. Dropping to his knees again, Naruto cried out as he held his head. That had _hurt_. The massive lump that was forming wasn't helping the pain either. Naruto was just thankful he had a thick head and healed fast.

As the pain dulled to a powerful throb, Naruto opened an eye and looked over at Mystogan. The man seemed to be swinging away at the air around him in some weird kata. Growling, Naruto called out to him. "That had better not have been you! What are you doing anyway?"

The man grunted as he parried something with a clang. "I'm busy."

Groaning, Naruto pulled himself to his feet and rubbed the now shrinking lump. He watched Mystogan for a moment longer before he heard something trying to creep up behind him. 'Oh no you don't.'

Disappearing in a flash, Naruto appeared several feet back with his hand wrapped around something in the air and instantly felt hands trying to pry open his fingers. His eyes widened as he realised there was an invisible someone now in his grasp. The strangled gurgles also made him realise he had a pretty tight grip too. Slackening it off, he frowned. "Who are you? Was that you who smacked me over the head?"

The blond felt a kick smack into his side, but it hardly made him move at all. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto simply tightened his grip. "We can do it your way if you really want. You kick, I squeeze and we see who wins."

It was an empty threat, but who was this person to call his bluff? Feeling the resistance weaken, Naruto frowned. "Good choice. Now, who are you?"

Shimmering into view, Naruto's eyes widened again when he discovered that he had a rather busty woman by the throat. She had long pink, plaited hair that stretched most of the way down her back. Her furious green eyes glared at him as his grip unconsciously tightened. There was a small, horizontal scar under her left eye that seemed to crinkle the skin a bit as she frowned. Looking down, Naruto saw she had a very typical ninja getup on. Tight, form fitting pants and top, a belt with several tools hanging from it and rubber soled shoes to help quieten her steps.

The fury on her face marred her pretty complexion as her hands lifted to his arm again. "How did you hear me?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not many people can get the drop on me when I'm on edge. I answered your question, now you answer mine. Who are you?"

The woman scowled and replied with another question. "How did you survive that bar to the head?"

Frowning, Naruto gave her a gentle shake. "Oi, that's not nice. Answer my question first."

Hearing yet another noise behind him, Naruto's face lit up in annoyance as he stepped to the side and snatched out his other hand. Feeling his fingers close around another neck, he smirked. Dragging the new person back in front of him, Naruto gave them a shake too. "I assume this is your friend?"

The pink haired woman in his left hand glared at the newcomer. "How come you didn't attack him?"

Naruto dropped an eyebrow at the question. "Uh, I'm right here you know."

He was ignored as another lady shimmered into view. Had his hands not been occupied, he would have rubbed his eyes because he was currently holding an identical replica of this woman in his other hand. The only noticeable difference though was that this new lady had a scar under her right eye. "I tried! He was too fast!"

Sweat dropping at being ignored by his captives as they began to bicker, Naruto looked over at Mystogan. The man had managed to subdue his opponent and was now tying up a third girl, that one also looking like she was identical to these two. "Hey, what's going on here?"

Turning, Mystogan shook his head. "Bring them here. We'll tie them up."

"Fine."

Taking a step, Naruto had to snap his thighs together forcefully as the two women in his grasp lashed out with a kick aimed at his most manly of places. Catching their shins mere inches before contact, the girls shivered as his gaze darkened. "Oh you should not have tried that."

Bringing their heads together in a sharp crack, Naruto watched as they flopped into unconsciousness, his grasp around their throats being the only thing holding them up. Dragging them over to an amused Mystogan, he dropped them before the man and tuned out of the third triplet screaming indignantly. "For what I know of you, that seemed a bit out of character."

Naruto raised an annoyed eyebrow. "All bets are off when the family jewels are targeted."

Kneeling, Mystogan began wrapping up the twins before tying them to their still screaming sister. "So who are these guys?"

Standing, the robed man dusted down his pants. "It seems these women were the cause of the rumors. The job description mentioned that there had been thefts around this area of some rather curious objects, coupled by some mysterious sounds. My guess it was these three."

Nodding, Naruto walked around in front of the last awake girl and smiled as she snapped at him. "Hey there. Mind telling us why you and your darling siblings attacked us?"

She spat at his face and growled as he dodged it. He patted her head, much to her aggravation and grinned infuriatingly. "That's not very nice. You almost hit me."

She screamed and tried to bite his fingers. Pulling them away, Naruto looked down at her in concern. "Should she be this aggressive?"

Walking up beside Naruto, the man crossed his arms. "I don't believe so. This is most unusual."

Looking around, Naruto nodded. "Yeah..."

Glancing around the area, Naruto pursed his lips. "Hang on a second. Let me try something."

Stepping back, Naruto formed the Ram seal and welled up a generous amount of chakra. "**Kai (Release)!**"

The entire surrounding area instantly shimmered and dispersed as Naruto's chakra ran through the illusion.

"Woah..."

Taking a step back, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw an old storehouse standing before him. It had huge dual doors on the front with a couple of comparatively tiny windows spotted around the base. The wood looked to be old and rotting, but for some reason held up the structure with ease. Surrounding the area were the ruins of the carnival, their positioning perfect to include this out of place structure. Looking over at Mystogan, Naruto saw the man was just as surprised as he was. Looking around, Mystogan brought out a second stave. "You have a curious ability there, being able to break illusions like that. Especially one of that size."

Nodding, Naruto turned his gaze to the girls on the ground. The last of the three had fallen into unconsciousness, her head lolling backwards and her mouth open with a small amount of drool seeping from her lips. Frowning, Naruto knelt down and made her more comfortable. It looked like the three girls had been controlled by some form of mind manipulation.

Looking over to Mystogan, their eyes met and they nodded before heading towards the storehouse. Creeping up to it, Naruto looked in through a window. Seeing nothing interesting, he turned back to Mystogan. "Alright, I'll check things from above if you want to go in through the door."

"Agreed."

Not waiting for anything more, Naruto quickly channelled some chakra to his hands and feet and rapidly ascended the wall. Reaching the top, he peeked over the edge and looked around. His eyes widened as he saw a single door in the middle of the roof. Checking to see that there were no other people, Naruto slipped over onto the slanted wood and ran over to the door.

It was attached to a box no taller than the door was, but only the depth of a single person. Seeing no handle, Naruto pulled out a bit of ninja wire and slipped it into the crack opposite of the hinges. Running it up and down, he found the resistance of the latch. Pulling it out, he bent the wire around in the shape of a 'U' and threaded it back in and around the latch. When it poked back out at him, Naruto grabbed it and began rubbing the wire back and forth against the metal. Feeding some chakra gently into the wire, it gained a sharp edge and quickly sawed through the latch. Once that was done, Naruto pocketed the wire and gently pried open the door with a kunai.

There was a handle on the inside of the door so Naruto guessed this was some form of an escape route. Opening it wider, Naruto looked in to see a ladder descending down into the bowels of the building. Making sure everything was secure; he gripped the first bar and began lowering himself down head first, anchoring himself to the ladder with chakra as he decended.

The exit route wasn't very long, but it was quite dark. For most of the way, Naruto had to rely on his sense of touch to climb down until his hands touched on what felt like a trap door. This was also made of wood and had a rusted latched to the right hand side. Grasping it, Naruto gently pulled and was relieved to find it opened inward. Shifting his head over to the side, he peered through the crack that had appeared and checked everything in sight.

So far, it looked like a simple wooden room, completely empty of any ornaments. No people were in there either so he gently pulled the door open further. Resting it on the side wall, Naruto carefully lowered his head through the hole and checked around. The sound of some very muffled voices reached his ears, but from the monotone rumble, Naruto could tell they were several thick walls away at least. Like he had first seen, there was absolutely nothing in the room. The only defining thing of it was the old door that hid in the shadows of the corner.

Checking once more for any surveillance material, Naruto let himself drop silently to the floor and instantly ran to the darkest corner of the room. Counting to one hundred, Naruto stared edging for the door, now fairly confident that no one was going to come rushing in. Grasping the handle, Naruto pulled it open but froze when the hinges creaked. The door was already halfway open however and as such, Naruto squeezed through the gap and into the hall beyond.

Sticking close to the ground, Naruto ran down the featureless corridor, eyes and ears wide open for the tiniest of movements or sounds. Nearing a door towards the end of the hall, Naruto slowed up and frowned. There sounded like some faint footsteps disappearing as whoever owned them seemed to run away. Peeking under the door, Naruto saw that the room was dimly lit and what looked like the legs of a table and some ratty chairs were close to the center of it.

Pushing the door open, Naruto looked around and crawled in. There was some abandoned food scraps and a couple of empty mugs on the badly stained table top, the food half chewed and still reasonably warm. Looking to the open door on the opposite side of the room, Naruto quickly moved to it and looked in.

Yet another hallway led away, the dust all having been disturbed by the recent flurry of activity. A muffled shout from somewhere deep down the hall reached Naruto's ears and he frowned. It sounded aggressive and challenging, so Naruto could only guess they were out to attack someone. Hearing a boom follow up fairly soon after, the blond widened his eyes. It had to be Mystogan they had found.

Giving up most forms of stealth, Naruto slipped past the door and started running towards the noise. Several open doors lined the hallway, all looking like they had just been abandoned for the attack. Sliding into a right hand, ninety degree corner, Naruto stopped and was confronted by a strange looking man.

"Oi, how did you get in here?"

Not quite sure if he was friend or foe, Naruto readied himself. "Came in through the back way. What's going on?"

The man then rolled his yellow eyes and grabbed Naruto's jacket. "Well don't just stand there you moron! We've gotta go catch this guy!"

Completely bewildered, Naruto let himself be dragged along as the man fumed to himself. Looking around as they passed the last abandoned room, Naruto turned his gaze back to his guide. "Uh, so what exactly is happening?"

Casting Naruto an incredulous look, the man growled. "Where the hell have you been? The alarm was sounded over five minutes ago! It seems like a mage from Fairy Tail has somehow found us!"

Stumbling as the man wrenched him around another corner, Naruto heard another boom, much closer than the last. Coming to a set of stairs, they rapidly descended them and came into what looked like the storehouse on the first floor. Looking over to the noise, Naruto saw Mystogan surrounded by what looked like one hundred to one hundred and fifty mages, all trying to coordinate an attack on the secretive man. Finally bringing up the rear, the fellow dropped his hand from Naruto's chest and tapped a powerful looking man on the shoulder.

"Sir, sorry for making you wait. I found a straggler and brought him down."

"Hmmph?"

Turning, the massive man looked over his shoulder, first at the guide, then at Naruto. His eye widened and he turned fully to the guide and pointed an accusing finger at Naruto.

"WHO THE HELL IS HE? HE'S NOT APART OF THE GUILD!"

Near deafened by the roar, the comparatively small man turned to look at Naruto. "You're not?"

Naruto shrugged. "What guild is this?"

The man started sweating as the mountain behind him began to bear down on him. "Ph-Ph-Phantom Lord?"

A mighty kick then caught the man in the seat of his pants and he was sent rocketing through the roof high above with an almighty scream. Looking up, Naruto whistled at his rapid departure. "Wow, not bad."

The huge man grunted and cracked his knuckles. "Sorry, he was new so obviously didn't know to kick your ass when he saw you."

"Say what?"

Naruto then cried out as the man jumped forward, his surprising speed not at all hampered by his size. Diving into a side roll, Naruto avoided the strike and looked up. The man had already turned and was charging in again. Thinking on his feet, Naruto raised both hands and caught the incoming haymaker. Using his own strength against him, Naruto let himself be sent into a long backflip, his feet coming through and catching the man twice in the jaw. The first foot snapped his jaw shut with a painful snap and the second sent him sprawling away and into the group he had just broken formation from.

Landing in a crouch, Naruto looked over to see now a good dozen eyes trained on him. "Awww..."

A cry sounded out and suddenly Naruto had to contend with over ten men trying to incapacitate him. Weaving to the side, Naruto grunted unhappily as an unsuspected blow caught him in the middle of his shoulders. Dodging the various magical and physical attacks wasn't really an option when they were raining down on him from all directions. Dropping to the ground as a blade of something sailed over his head, Naruto growled and then rolled to the side as a spear smashed down where his stomach used to be. Seeing a foot within reach, Naruto lashed out a hand and grasped the limb. Rolling again onto his back, Naruto brought his arm around in a wide arc, the man screaming as the blond's superior strength sent him flying through his comrades. Flipping to his feet, Naruto backed up against a wall and checked out his opponents.

The group that had just been knocked down were getting back up as well as more coming to join in on the attack. Hearing a boom, Naruto looked up and saw a massive plume of dust along with several screaming men being sent spiralling into the air. Deciding to step things up, Naruto levelled his gaze at his attackers and grinned. He then raised his hands and brought them in front of his chest and crossed his fingers.

"**Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone)!**"

The group suddenly paused in their slow approach and all the men and women widened their eyes when suddenly thirty or so exact replicas of the blond they were stalking exploded into view. Seeing the amazed looks on his assailant's faces, Naruto laughed. "What happened? Where did all your steam go?"

No one moved, so Naruto shrugged and grinned a little more evilly at them. "No takers? Fine then, I'll go first. Try keep up."

Exploding into action, the blond and orange group blurred into the mages. The actual attack lasted less than three seconds as the Naruto's ploughed through them. Bodies went flying in all directions as near invisible kicks and punches broke through hastily constructed guards.

Sliding a fist into the face of the last man, Naruto paused and looked around as his target was sent careening across the massive room. His clones had all fanned out and were now in a perfect semicircle around him in various attack poses as men rained down around them. Seeing the group all turn their gaze to him, Naruto nodded appraisingly and basked in the moment of his awesomeness. Damn he looked cool.

He was broken from his moment of glory when what looked like a paper star was thrown through a clone, causing it to explode. Over two dozen eyes then turned their gazes over to the man that had attacked and frowned. He was a weedy little thing and instantly started sweating bullets when he was locked on. Not even trying to attack, he turned tail and fled.

Chuckling to himself, Naruto straightened up and looked over towards Mystogan. The man seemed to be batting away humans and their attacks like he was playing a ball game, but with the large number of men surrounding him, he was bound to get tired eventually. Shaking his hands and bouncing on his toes, Naruto turned to his clones.

"So, keen to go create a little havoc amongst the Gay Lords?"

The clones suddenly burst into movement and attacked a group that seemed to drop out of the sky. Landing beside the original, a clone looked up with a grin. "Do you even need to ask?"

Grinning back, Naruto turned and chuckled again. "No, I guess I don't."

The group then spread at an unspoken command and sped towards the mob encircling Mystogan.

XxXxXxX

Smacking yet another annoying insect and his attack away, Mystogan very nearly let a growl through his lips as another pest quickly filled that last one's space. He still couldn't understand how he had been detected when he had entered either. He had sworn he had been completely silent. The only thing he could think of was that one single bird that fluttered away as soon as he had opened the door. A raised voice then called out over the noise of the fight.

"So, how's it going over here? Getting tired yet?"

Casting an irritated glance over his shoulder, he saw that immensely annoying blond standing behind him. Mystogan was naturally a reserved person, so this abrasive human was exactly the kind of person he avoided as all costs. However, despite his sizeable shortcomings, Mystogan couldn't deny the boy was incredibly powerful.

The trail of downed Phantom Lord agents behind him coupled with the solid replicas creating mayhem in the midst of the mages only raised his begrudging respect of the blond. Beating away another weak attack, Mystogan grunted. "I'm managing."

Naruto chuckled as he backed up against Mystogan and began protecting his back. "That's good to hear. So, do you know what these losers want exactly? I mean, outside of trying to turn us into a paste on the floor."

Ducking under a poorly thrown spell of some form, Mystogan threw his staff into the man's gut before recalling it back to his hand. "I am unaware of their objective yet. We need to capture someone willing to talk."

Lashing out with two back to back roundhouse kicks, Naruto connected solidly with the stomachs of two women, throwing them back into the crowd forcefully, bowling over a large number of people. "You know what? I think I might have the perfect guy for that."

Creating another clone, Naruto then dispersed it and Mystogan saw one of his replicas break formation and disappear into the shadows. Not choosing to comment, the hidden man focused back on finishing off the seemingly never-ending flow of weaklings. Resisting the urge to sigh, Mystogan punched a man in the face as Naruto began speaking rather loudly again. "So... we only need one guy to talk? You weren't thinking of having pairs to make sure they're telling the truth?"

Mystogan shook his head. "No, just one."

Grinning, Naruto brought his hands up in his favourite seal again. "Well, I'll just finish this lot off now and get on with the interrogation."

Mystogan's vision was then cut off as a plume of white smoke filled the area. It quickly dissipated and revealed about two hundred Naruto's packed into the area. Resisting the urge to widen his eyes, Mystogan watched on as the orange mass turned and began flattening the unfortunate mages. Quite a few members tried to run once they realised their disadvantage, but all escapees were floored by fellow guild members being thrown forcefully at them by a Naruto or two.

The room quickly fell silent as the entire guild was squashed, the occasional pained moan from an unconscious man or woman eventually being the only noise left in the area. Nodding happily, Naruto walked over to a fairly solid looking man and gave him a chop to the neck, knocking him out properly. Straightening, he nodded to his replicas and they all nodded back before going up in a mass of smoke. Looking over to a dark corner, Naruto grinned as a clone came wandering in carrying a rather thin, little man over his shoulder.

Reaching Mystogan, the clone dropped his cargo, winked at Mystogan, then disappeared. Rolling his eyes, the robed man crossed his arms and looked down at the cowering human. "So is this what I think it is?"

Walking up, Naruto placed a hand on the man's head and earned himself a frightened squeak from the motion. "Sure is. Shouldn't be too hard to get some information from him."

Kneeling down in front of the shivering man, Naruto grinned and looked him in the eye. "So, what's your name?"

Flicking his gaze from Naruto to Mystogan and back again, the man swallowed several times before speaking. "T-T-T-Tony..."

Naruto instantly had the feeling this guy and Hinata would get on famously. "Tony huh? Nice to meet you. I'm Naruto and I'm looking to get a bit of information. Mind helping me out?"

Swallowing, Tony hesitantly shook his head. "I c-c-can't! I'd b-be expelled from the g-guild!"

Frowning, Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's not very good. I wouldn't want to have to do something to help loosen that tongue of yours."

Eeping fearfully as the grip on his shoulder increased, Tony began stuttering incoherently. Rolling his eyes, Naruto gave the man an escape. "How about you tell us, then we don't say who we got the info from?"

Falling silent, the man looked up at Mystogan hesitantly. "Y-You promise?"

Naruto nodded reassuringly and Mystogan just grunted. Swallowing, Tony nodded unhappily and began speaking. "O-ok, w-w-well, what I know i-is that w-we were here to gather provisions f-for the main guild."

Mystogan looked down at him. "I thought it seemed a bit small. What is the main part of the guild doing to need a storehouse like this?"

Cringing, Tony held his hands up. "I dunno, I swear! They don't t-tell low ranked m-mages like m-me anything important. I just k-know that there are a bunch of o-o-other guild segments d-doing the same thing as us."

Looking up at Mystogan, Naruto frowned. "What could they be stocking up on provisions for?"

Mystogan shrugged and asked Tony another question. "What can you tell me about those three hypnotised girls out the front?"

Shivering under the gaze, the small man seemed to shrink even further. "T-they were controlled because o-of their invisibility magic. W-w-we used them to s-scare kids and people away a-and to keep up the story of this p-place being haunted s-so no one would come here. T-they wouldn't join, so..."

He trailed off, no words needed to complete his sentence. Naruto's eyes narrowed and he glared at the man. "So they were like slaves then, hey? What were all the random thefts around the area for? You people just playing games?"

The small man didn't answer, so the two powerful men instinctively knew the response was a yes. Growling dangerously, Naruto leaned in menacingly. "I should break every bone in your body for that. Just be happy I'm kind."

Not giving him a chance to answer, Naruto tapped a pressure point on Tony's neck and he fell to the side, instantly unconscious. Standing, Naruto welled up something in his mouth and spat it out in distaste. "I hate hearing about slavery. Leaves a real nasty flavour in my mouth, dattebayo."

Mystogan silently agreed and looked over the still mass of humans littering the floor. "It looks like we'll need to find someone a little higher up in the chain of command if we want more answers."

Sighing, Naruto scratched his head. "Damn. Why didn't you say so earlier then? If you hadn't told me we only needed one person I could have grabbed someone more powerful!"

Scowling under his head piece, Mystogan began walking towards the exit. "How do you expect me to know something like that?"

Shrugging, Naruto raised his hands up behind his head and began following the man. Pausing as he saw Mystogan look up, Naruto spied a flag on the blind side of the door. It had a purple symbol on it that looked like the bottom two-thirds of an eye with two identical eyelashes sticking out from the bottom of it at about a forty-five degree angle. From the very bottom of the curve, right under the single dot in the middle of the semicircle, swirled out an odd tail, rather reminiscent of a pig's tail. Mystogan grabbed it and pulled it from its place and rolled it up, tucking it away into his masses of fabric. Looking at it curiously, Naruto tried to see it again. "What was that?"

Mystogan opened the door and walked out. "That was Phantom Lord's guild mark. I think I'll start collecting these until this new development is resolved."

Following Mystogan out, Naruto frowned. "So that means you're going out to find more of these segment things?"

The man nodded. "I must find out the reason behind Phantom Lord's unusual behaviour. Fortunately, this is where we must part. I cannot wait, and the girls that were subjected to the mind alterations need medical attention. I trust you will take care of them."

Not even giving Naruto a chance to reply, Mystogan seemed to shimmer and his entire body became a very light translucent. "Goodbye."

He then seemed to fade into a mist and was quickly blown away by a rising wind. Watching him disappear, Naruto pouted and looked over at the now snoring trio of girls. "Stupid Mystogan, dumping me with these girls. I wanted to ask him a simple question but nooo, I get stuck with nurse duty!"

Grumbling the whole time, Naruto stomped over and created two clones. Each then hoisted a girl up and into their arms, bridal style. Sighing one more time, Naruto looked back over his shoulder to where Mystogan disappeared and blew him a raspberry. "Stupid mist trick. Come on then, let's go."

XxXxXxX

_A/N – sorry about the wait. I wanted to post this up earlier but I got called away on a coaching trip. You don't care though because real life is boring._

_Just for general knowledge too, the Galuna Arc with Natsu, Happy and Lucy stealing the S Rank mission is happening right now. I'm just not writing it because mimicking cannon gets boring._

_As usual, any mistakes, let me know. I'm still replying to all reviews that I can so try log in if possible so I can reply to your questions and stuff._

_Vandenbz beta'd this like a boss. Wyrd Darcnyzz has grammar skillz better than you (and me for that matter)._

_Sleep time._

_Lanky Nathan_


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto's head slipped from his hand for the umpteenth time as his eyes drooped. Having carried the girls all the way back to Hargeon Town in the middle of the night, Naruto had stuck around for a while as he waited for anyone to recognise the triplets. Unfortunately, they seemed to be new to this hospital and no records were found of them anywhere. So Naruto, cursing his conscience, had decided to wait until they woke up, if only to make sure they were ok.

They had slept soundly all night in the beds that had been put aside for them, but Naruto had been left to sit by their sides in an uncomfortable chair and try to find rest while his spine was realigned. Feeling his neck spasm yet again as his head fell forward involuntarily, Naruto groaned and opened his eyes. The first rays of sunlight had started peeking over the horizon and began illuminating the white room in a pleasant glow. Hearing a noise, Naruto looked across and saw one of the girls beginning to squirm as she woke up.

Standing, Naruto pressed the request button and within a few seconds, a nurse carrying a clipboard wandered in. Seeing Naruto hovering over near a bed, she came across. "Is everything ok?"

Nodding, Naruto pointed at the pink haired girl. "Yeah, I just think this one's about to wake up. She was pretty restless just a moment ago so I thought I'd call you."

Nodding, the nurse began flitting around her patient, checking vital ops and other things as the girl continued to come out of her slumber. Standing back as the nurse gently pushed past him, Naruto watched as her eyes flickered before opening slowly, revealing a sleepy emerald green. Smiling happily to himself, Naruto waited for the nurse to finish her rounds. The girl watched on in confusion before finally speaking up in a soft voice. "Where am I?"

Pausing, the nurse looked down at her with a comforting smile. "You're in the Hargeon Town Hospital. Seems you and your sisters there have had a bit of a rough night."

Turning her head to the side, the girl saw the two peaceful bodies of her siblings as they too began to rouse. Looking back up at the nurse, she frowned. "So... how did me and my sisters get here?"

Stepping back, the nurse motioned at Naruto. "This fine young lad here brought you here."

Turning her eyes downward, they considered the waving blond at the foot of her bed. "Hey there. I'm Naruto. What's your name?"

Frowning for a moment, the girl spoke up hesitantly. "I'm Shelly. So, where did you find us exactly?"

Naruto didn't reply and looked at the nurse who had started busying around the other two sisters. "How about I tell you once you all wake up?"

Softly humming in agreement, the girl turned and looked over at her sisters. The one on the far bed was the first to awaken. She stretched and yawned, not looking like she had suffered any long term affects from being controlled for so long. The last of the three finally came to and mimicked the last motion, stretching and yawning loudly. Looking around groggily, they eventually realised there was a woman dressed in white flitting around them and checking their pulses and other things. Fluttering their eyes to clear their vision, the two of them looked up at the nurse and asked simultaneously, "Where are we?"

Laughing softly, the nurse repeated herself. "You'll find that you are in the Hargeon Town Hospital. You're safe here."

Blinking a few times, the girls said nothing and let the nurse finish her duties. It took another minute or two, but the nurse finally finished up and stood back. "Well, you all seem perfectly ok from what I can see. Both of you seemed to have a bit of a nasty bump on your heads, but it's nothing more than a bruise. We'll keep an eye on you a little longer just to make sure you don't pass out again for some unknown reason, but I can't see why you shouldn't be able to leave today. Best be off now, I'll see you shortly!"

Drifting out the door, Naruto watched the nurse as she left and made her way to the next room over. Turning his eyes back to the girls, he found three sets of eyes staring at him. Feeling a bit awkward, he scratched his cheek and smiled. "Uh, so yeah, I'm Naruto, the guy who found you. I already know Shelly's name, so what are yours?"

The girl in the middle shuffled herself up in the bed to get a better look at the blond. "I'm Sally."

The last of the three simply rolled onto her side and licked her dry lips. "Kelly."

Nodding, Naruto looked them over again. Secretly, he as rather thankful for the little scars they had otherwise he couldn't have told the difference between them. Shelly's face was flawless, not having a single mark on it. Sally had the scar under her right eye and Kelly had it under her left.

Pulling his chair over in front of them, he sat down and sighed. "Well, I guess I should start with a few questions for you. Do you know what happened last night?"

The girls all frowned and exchanged a look amongst themselves. The one on the far right, Shelly, spoke up. "No... not really. All I can remember is feeling really angry, seeing humanoid blurs and getting these really stupid orders from time to time that I could never disobey."

The other two nodded in agreement of the explanation. Nodding, Naruto bit his lip. "Well, alright then. I suppose I should tell you the way I found you wasn't knocked out like described, but rather you found me."

Kelly eyes lit up as she remembered something. "I thought you looked familiar! You're that annoying gnat I nailed with the iron bar! Sorry about that."

Grunting, Naruto subconsciously rubbed the spot. "No damage done. Anyway, the reason you attacked me was because you were under some mind control technique by those Phantom Lord bastards."

The light turned on in all three girls' eyes as they remembered and they growled angrily. "Yeah, I remember that now! Those mutts wanted us for our invisibility cloak! Ooooh, what I'd do if I could get a piece of one of them!"

Chuckling as the three sisters ground their teeth in anger, Naruto shook his head. "No need to worry about that. I already kicked their asses for you. They won't be able to harass you now."

Looking up at Naruto, Shelly raised a delicate eyebrow. "So, that means you were the guy who knocked us out of their control?"

The blond nodded. "Yup. They had an illusion over that barn of theirs and you were freed when I broke it."

All three sets of eyes then began to sparkle as Naruto confessed he was the one who helped them. "So, you saved us from those horrible men? That's just so kind!"

Chuckling embarrassedly, Naruto closed his eyes and scratched his cheek. "Awww, well, I'd do the same for anyone really."

Opening his eyes, he was startled to find all three girls now kneeling before him, hands clasped before them in wonder. "But you saved us! You were the one that rescued us like princesses! Our hero!"

Feeling quite pleased with the way things were going, Naruto looked down at them. "Well, if you really wanna go that far, I suppose so. By the way, should you be out of bed?"

They crawled in closer to him, resting their heads on his lap. "Na-ah, we feel fine. How can we repay you? These are our lives we're talking about here!"

Looking over at the door, Naruto squirmed a little. "It's not that big a deal. Just a thank you is fine for someone like me!"

He then found his hands taken by two soft female sets which were followed up by a pair of female lips pressed onto the back of each of his hands. Looking down, he saw Shelly and Sally in the middle of kissing the backs of his hands. Instantly turning into a puddle of goo, Naruto slumped into his chair as the three girls lavished their affections upon him. When they finally relented, he looked down at them and sent them a lopsided grin. "What was that for?"

The three girls all pouted their lips at the question. "Well duh, we were thanking you!"

Starting to wonder about the time, Naruto shook his head. "I actually meant like with words, but hey this is just as good."

Squealing, they jumped at him and began rubbing their heads into his chest. "Oh Naruto, that is only the lowest of what we should do for you! How many men are there in this world that would risk their own lives for someone they don't even know?"

While the feminine attention was just wonderful, Naruto looked down at the girls attached to his waist and sighed. "That's all well and good for the moment, but I kinda have to go. I have to finish up some business."

Shaking their heads into his jacket, they hummed. "No, don't go yet, we still haven't said thank you enough!"

'What the hell have you got me into Mystogan? This is so awesome.'

Despite feeling rather comfortable now, Naruto pushed them all off and stood up. "Look, that's ok, but I gotta go now. I'm glad I could help, but now that I know you're ok, I'll leave you to it."

"No, wait!"

The girls all jumped up and Naruto quickly sniffed up a glob of red that threatened to spill from his nose. He hadn't really looked before, but now that they were standing before him, he wondered how he had missed their state of dress.

Each had on a flimsy night gown, the middle pulled tight around their waists. The light fabric did very little to hide the clearly naked bodies beneath and Naruto found himself thinking that Jiraiya-sensei would currently be screaming joyously from his grave. After giving them a thorough once over, Naruto took a step back from the extremely forward girls. "Nope, sorry but this just can't wait. Hopefully though I'll see you again soon. Take care!"

Dashing from the room, the girls cried out unhappily but couldn't stop the blond disappearing from sight. As the sisters sighed to themselves, Kelly looked at her twins and smiled. "Isn't he gorgeous?"

Both girls nodded. "He's like perfect! Those whisker things are _so_ cute too."

Sighing dreamily, they made their way back to the beds and laid down in them. Looking over at her sisters, Sally nibbled on her lower lip as she thought about her blond hero. "Once we're out of here, we must go find him, if only to thank him properly."

Receiving positive noises from both girls, she hummed happily to herself. Seeming it was still early morning too, she closed her eyes slowly and let herself drift back to sleep.

XxXxXxX

Having run the whole way to the train station, Naruto had spotted a train in the distance as he left the three sisters. Quickly catching it, he pulled himself aboard and slumped into a seat in the rearmost cart. He grinned to himself as he thought of the impressive image he must have left. Jiraiya would be so proud. Groaning as he stretched out on the far comfier seat than what the hospital provided, the blond yawned and tucked his hands under his head. After that busy night, he was looking very much forward to the little nap that the trip home would provide. Closing his eyes, Naruto let the gentle rocking and rhythmic clacking of the wheels over the tracks lull him to sleep.

XxXxXxX

"...Sir, we're here."

"Mmmph?"

Struggling to open an eye, Naruto looked up to see a uniformed man standing over him. "I said we're here. We have been for five minutes!"

Rubbing his eyes as he sat up, Naruto thanked the man and yawned. Stretching as he stood, Naruto looked around and saw they were indeed in Magnolia Station. Taking a step forward, Naruto then felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw the man frowning at him.

"May I see your ticket? I don't remember seeing you get on. I just need to confirm you paid."

'Crap, I needed to pay for this again? I thought Erza covered that last time?' Looking around, Naruto chuckled. "Uh, I came through here with someone called Erza Scarlet a while back. I think she must have paid for me?"

The man's eyes widened and he shivered involuntarily. "I-is that so? Well then, you have yourself a f-fine day!"

Naruto's eyebrows rose at the man's reaction but just put it down to Erza having scared yet another person into submission. Nodding at him, the blond left and made his way out to the station floor. Looking around, Naruto sighed and held his stomach as it let out an unhappy gurgle. Ignoring the amused glances from the passengers around him, Naruto rubbed his tummy and started walking. Having made his mad dash from the last town, he'd totally forgotten breakfast. Smiling to himself as he thought of Mirajane's delicious cooking, Naruto took to a light jog down the streets to make it back to the guild sooner.

XxXxXxX

Walking in through the guild doors, Naruto observed the usual lay about members and made his way to the bar. He got a few calls from some of the other guild members to which he waved at awkwardly. Sliding into a seat at the bench beside Cana, Naruto looked around for the white haired barmaid.

"So how'd things go for you? Catch up with Mysty?"

Looking over at Cana, Naruto nodded. Considering how much of a gossip guild Fairy Tail seemed to be, Naruto wasn't surprised that Cana knew of his trip. "Yeah, I managed to catch him. He didn't know anything interesting though."

Raising the ever present barrel to her lips, Cana took a massive swig of the liquid within before dropping it to the bench. "I'm surprised you managed to. That weird guy is like the hardest person ever to track down. I've never tried, but I know people who have."

Looking around a bit more, Naruto nodded absently. "Yeah, I suppose. You just gotta be fast, that's all. Hey, question, have you seen Mirajane around?"

Smirking, Cana nodded. "Oh, yeah I think I can say that I have."

Raising an eyebrow at the vague answer, Naruto turned to face the brunette. "Mind telling me where?"

Unfortunately for Naruto, a set of sharp fingernails jabbed into his sides and he let out an unexpected shriek as they buried into his flesh. Spinning around, Naruto glared at the now located Mirajane who was laughing into her hands. "What the hell did you do that for?"

Sticking her tongue out at him, Mira walked around to the front of the bench. "That's just payback for making me grubby when you hugged me. Be happy I didn't do something worse."

Grumbling to himself, Naruto conceded she had a point. Still, this wasn't the end of it. No one got a prank over Uzumaki Naruto, no matter how small. Storing away his well natured grudge for later, he looked up at the smirking girl and sighed. "Alright then. Well, I was wondering if you can get me some food while I was here? I haven't eaten since last night and I am like, _super_ hungry."

Dropping her barrel, Cana's eye's twinkled deviously and turned to the mass of humans behind them. "OI, listen up! Naruto's gonna have lunch, but hasn't eaten since last night! Bets on how many bowls he's gonna eat will be taken now!"

Several sizeable sweat beads formed on Naruto's head as he heard a clamber of tables and chairs as people rushed forward. Looking at the group as it rapidly grew, he resisted the urge to slap his face with his palm. "Oi, oi, oi, just what am I here?"

Looking back at Naruto as she took wads of cash, Cana grinned and handed back notes with their guesses on them. "Can you blame us for wanting to place a few bets on your eating habits? If it wasn't for the success of this guild, you'd have eaten us out of house and home. So just hush and get started on what you do best. I'll even give you a cut from what is collected."

Sending the girl a flat look, Naruto just shook his head as she called out again for any last minute bets. Seeing a bowl of warm, steaming soup before him though made him forget the rabble behind him. Smiling up at the barmaid, Naruto sent her a thankful nod. "You're the best Mira."

Laughing, the girl just clasped her hands in front of her waist. "Oh, it's nothing! I mean, hopefully I'll make a few Jewels off of you, so do your best for your favourite Mira!"

Naruto's eyes thinned as he realised Mirajane was just as into this as the rest of the guild. Ah well, free food is free food, no matter what angle you look at it from. Grabbing the spoon beside the bowl, Naruto tucked in.

XxXxXxX

Sighing as he finally set down the unlucky spoon, Naruto patted his distended stomach as he breathed a sigh of relief. That had been his first serious eating session since arriving in this weird world and didn't it feel good. Plates were stacked up all around him and through the blissful haze of a full tummy, Naruto could hear the last of the tallies being counted. The group had thinned significantly as over half the group left once Naruto passed his twelfth serving. The food had continued flowing though and after his nineteenth bowl of delicious who-knows-what's, he had finally stopped his feasting. Opening an eye a bit, Naruto watched as Cana greedily counted the earnings she had made off of him. Granted she had to fork out a bit to the victors, but there was a considerable amount left over for her.

Feeling him watching her, the girl looked over at Naruto and smiled gaily. "Well now, thank you so very much for that! I won't have to go on another job for a month thanks to this. Here, you can have this."

Sliding Naruto a relatively pathetic amount, she went back to counting the notes in her hands as Naruto raised an eyebrow at his own amount. Coughing, he reached out and tapped her shoulder. "Uh, don't you think I should get a little more than this? I mean, I was the one doing all the work and all..."

Chuckling, Cana deftly pulled her bikini open just enough so that she could slide everything in between the flesh and fabric. "So sorry, but that's all I can spare. I got my drinking habit I gotta fuel! You can come try get some more though if you dare..."

As she lifted the fabric, Naruto tried to catch a glimpse of something interesting but failed to spot anything before the fabric snapped back into place. Growling, Naruto narrowed his eyes and brought his hands up in the Ram seal. "Bad move, taunting a guy who can turn into a chick."

Naruto then went up in a puff of smoke and out of it dived his female counterpart, tackling Cana to the floor and beginning a wrestling match with the tall woman in an attempt to grab the money hiding within her bikini top. The thin crowd quickly thickened again as the members of the guild realised what was going on; the males cheering them on in the hope of seeing something naughty, the girls just keen to see a good fight.

It didn't last too long though as Naruto easily overpowered Cana and slapped her hands to the floor and sat down on her stomach. "Now, are you gonna give me what I earned or will I have to do something drastic?"

Looking up at Naruto, the brunette smirked and swayed her chest around a bit. "Grab it yourself if you want it that badly."

Cana then started laughing, thinking she had called his bluff but shrieked when a hand slipped under her top and grasped the money. Looking up with a furious blush on her face, she eyed up Mirajane who was counting through the money she had just grabbed. "M-M-Mirajane! That's cheating!"

Humming happily, she pulled out a few hundred Jewels which she pocketed. She then slipped the remaining amount back under Cana's top and smiled as the girl squealed again. "There you go Naruto, I got your cut. You can let her go now."

The blond girl stared up at her vacantly, not quite believing what she had just seen. Going up in a puff of smoke, Naruto returned to his original form and stood up. Cana just grumbled something from the floor and pulled herself to her feet, dusting herself down and returning to her keg. Turning to the shocked group behind them, Mirajane sent them a disarming smile and a wave. "You can go back to your seats now everyone. The show is over."

There were several grunts of acknowledgement and the guild began dispersing slowly as they all went back to sit down at their chairs and think over what just happened. Turning back from them, Mira smiled as she remembered something for Naruto. Walking up to him, she rested a gentle hand on his shoulder and reached down her top. Looking up, Naruto's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, a little book was withdrawn and dropped onto the counter in front of him.

"Here, we'll make good time of this moment of peace. You can write your next page!"

Looking up at the girl despairingly, Naruto's eyebrows crinkled together and he began whining pathetically. "But Mira-chan, I don't wanna! Can't you just write in it for me or something?"

Shaking her head, Mira grabbed Naruto's shoulder and pushed him down into his seat as he tried to rise. "Nope! Then it wouldn't be _your_ diary. Now, I won't let you move until you write me at least ten sentences!"

Trying again, Naruto found himself firmly pressed back into the seat. Looking at the little book with great distaste, Naruto picked up the pen and quickly scratched down a few things. Looking up at his captor, he tried a smile. "Can I go now?"

Looking over his shoulder, Mirajane had a quick count. "Nope! That's only eight sentences."

Grumbling, Naruto scribbled some more things down before slapping the book closed. "There, done. Can I go now?"

Rolling her eyes, Mira nodded. "Yes Naruto, you may leave now."

Smiling, Naruto nodded and stood up. "Lovely. Now, can you tell me where old man Makarov is?"

Placing a finger to her chin in thought, Mirajane looked up at the roof. "I believe he had to leave on short notice for some council meeting yesterday. He should be back some time tomorrow."

"Ah." Looking around, Naruto then noticed a distinct lack of high pitched screaming. "Uh, so where would Natsu or Gray be? Or any of the other regulars?"

Frowning slightly, Mirajane crossed her arms. "Natsu, Happy and Lucy all decided they would take an S-Class job without permission so they are in massive trouble with the Master. Erza and Gray went to get them. Hopefully they'll be back today, if not, tomorrow."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked down at the girl. "Alright then... what is an S-Class mission anyway? I've heard of S-Class mages and stuff, but I don't know any details."

Looking up at her taller counterpart, Mirajane blinked. "Oh, don't you? Well, an S-Class mage is someone who has taken a test to see if they are worthy of being S ranked. Mages of this level are not only powerful, but very smart. S-Class missions are usually very difficult and dangerous, involving great amounts of strength and thinking. Of everyone here, only myself, Erza, Mystogan, Laxus and one other have S ranked clearance."

Grinning, Naruto pointed a thumb at himself. "Ha, I could pretty much be one then! I ain't no mage, but I managed to beat Mystogan so that's gotta make me good enough to be S-Class."

The woman looked up disbelievingly. "You managed to actually beat him? What about him putting you to sleep?"

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, I can cancel that. I'm just that awesome."

Pursing her lips, Mirajane considered the teen before her. "Well... if it is indeed true you managed to beat him, you may have the qualities needed to become one, but first you need to be a part of a guild to be recognised as one. If you really wanted, you could join this one..."

She let the statement hang in the air as she quietly hoped that he would take up the offer. Naruto however just frowned and sighed. "Look, I know it's a great honour and all to be asked to join, but I don't wanna go joining something I'll probably be leaving soon, you know?"

Feeling a strange pit drop in her stomach, Mira tried to swallow a lump in her throat. "T-true... well, I suppose I should get back to work. Those dishes won't clean themselves!"

Brushing past him, Naruto looked on in confusion as Mirajane began to noisily busy herself with the mess on the bench top. Something odd definitely happened with the pleasant girl's mood just then, but for the life of him Naruto couldn't figure it out. Casting a perturbed look at the woman, Naruto turned and made his way out of the guild. Looking up at the sky once outside, the blond hoped Mirajane would work out whatever it was that was troubling her. Sighing, Naruto scratched the back of his head and looked around. Looking into the distance, he guessed he might as well train until the Master came home.

Channelling some chakra into his legs, Naruto jumped high above the crowd and alighted on the house roofs opposite the guild and began running.

XxXxXxX

Training went as well as it could by himself. Stretches, strengthening exercises and a couple of spars with several clones kept things moving until about midday. He couldn't help but wish Erza or Natsu were here to liven things up though. Fighting yourself was only so much fun. It was a warm day so Naruto had discarded his jacket early on in the training session to leave him in a simple black, body hugging undershirt. As he made to retrieve his top though, the blond paused as he heard some voices nearing him.

"Where is he? Mira said that he seems to like training out here so you'd think he'd be easy to find."

"Jet, does it really matter? I mean, it's just a little race."

"No! This is important to me! Levy-chan, you don't understand what's at stake here."

Straightening up, Naruto rubbed his brow with his forearm as he looked over to the three people as they pushed through a bush. Raising an arm, Naruto called out to them. "Oi, I'm over here."

Hearing him call, team Shadow Gear looked over before Jet dashed ahead of the group. Skidding to a stop in front of Naruto, he pointed a finger at the boy and looked down his nose at him. "Naruto! I'm here to challenge you to a race! I need to protect my title of the fastest mage in the guild!"

Dropping an eyebrow, Naruto grabbed his water bottle and took a sip. "Well it's safe. I haven't joined if you haven't noticed."

The orange haired teen faulted slightly before bringing himself back up to full height. "I don't care. I want to test you out to see if you really are as fast as you claim."

Shrugging, Naruto took another mouthful of water before swinging his arms around. "Eh, why not. It'll be a good warm down."

Grinding his teeth together, Jet narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying this race will be a simple warm down?"

By this stage Droy and Levy had reached his side and were looking up at him worriedly. "Jet, man, honestly it's not _that_ big of a deal. Chill out for a moment and let your speed do the talking."

Taking a breath, Jet listened to his friend and calmed himself. Breathing out slowly, he opened his eyes and levelled a gaze at the blond before him. "Alright then, a race it is. Do you have anything in mind?"

Looking around, Naruto considered the terrain but then shrugged. "I dunno, everything around here is too close to be considered a real race. How about a run from here to Hargeon Town? That's not too far and I actually know where it is."

Hearing the proposed distance made Jet start to sweat. It wasn't that far by train, but to walk the distance would take a good half a day. Not one to back down from his challenge though, Jet swallowed his nerves and sent the blond a grin. "Fine! That'll be a good distance. You ready?"

Levy however was a little more shocked and looked at the two with wide eyes. "You can't be serious can you? That's ages away!"

Laughing, Naruto ruffled the girl's hair, oblivious to the instant looks of death he received from the two males. "Nah, we'll be back in about half an hour I'd say. That is, if Jet's as fast as he thinks..."

He looked over at the mage and grinned as he saw him puff his chest out indignantly. "I won't dignify that with a response. Ready?"

Chuckling, Naruto lowered his center of gravity and bounced on his toes. "When you are."

Glancing over, Jet called out to Levy. "If you would count us down please?"

Holding a hand to her chest, Levy looked at them worriedly, but nodded never the less. "Uh, ok, well, three, two, one, take off!"

Before she had even finished the final word, two clouds of dust exploded up from where the two teens were once standing. Waving their hands in front of their faces and coughing as the dirt invaded their lungs, the two remaining people ran from the cloud and looked out with tearing eyes. Letting out a breath of amazement as her vision cleared, Levy's eyes widened as she saw a rising plume of dust rapidly disappearing into the distance. "Whoa..."

Rubbing his eyes alongside her, Droy also watched on in shock. "I... don't think I've ever seen Jet run that fast before."

Simply nodding, Levy just watched as the clouds dissipated as the men disappeared into the distance.

XxXxXxX

Dashing along beside Jet, Naruto couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter. "Damn, you weren't kidding when you said you were the fastest! This is awesome!"

Jet however was far more focused on maintaining the speed he was currently travelling at than talking. He had never been pushed as far as this by anyone ever before. What's more was that this new guy was more than happily keeping up with him. Growling internally, Jet channelled more magic into his legs and shot forward in another burst of speed.

Watching the orange haired boy begin to draw away, Naruto grinned. He hadn't been expecting him to put up as good a fight as he was, but it was incredibly fun. Drawing level with him again, Naruto called out to him. "So, still think you can beat me?"

"Course I do!"

Grinning, Naruto let Jet draw ahead once again as Hargeon Town appeared in the distance. A train shot past them on the tracks at a blinding speed as they passed it heading back to Magnolia. Looking over his shoulder at it, Naruto chuckled. 'Definitely sitting on that for a bit on the way back.'

Reaching the train station a minute later, both teens dug their heels into the ground and began skidding towards the building. Jet spun over so his toes were digging in and began running against the ground, kicking up stones and dirt as he fought to reverse his motion. Naruto instead jumped into the air, landing solidly on the stone wall and kicked off it powerfully, instantly regaining all his speed as Jet struggled to catch up.

Dipping his head low, Naruto shot forward to catch up with the train that had passed them earlier. It took a little bit, but he drew within range of it and jumped high over it, alighting on the roof. Wiping his cheek, Naruto turned and looked back over to see where Jet was at. There was a dust cloud steadily drawing closer and Naruto smirked when he saw the teens face. "Oi, that's cheating!"

Holding his hands out, Naruto shrugged and shouted back, "No it's not, I was just waiting for you!"

Jet growled at the taunt and summoned up every bit of magic he had to shoot past the train at a very impressive speed. Raising a hand to his eyes, Naruto whistled as he rapidly drew ahead. Jogging down the roof towards the front of the train, Naruto kicked off it and landed solidly at the front of the engine, his legs blurring into action and drawing him away towards Jet.

XxXxXxX

Dashing back towards Levy and Droy, Jet grinned victoriously as he looked around. That try hard Naruto wasn't anywhere and to top it all off, Levy would finally recognise him as the best! Life was good.

Skidding to a stop before them, Jet let his magic drop and he instantly collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving after all the energy he had to exert. Looking up at his team mates, he gave them a shaky thumbs up as Naruto jogged up to them. "H-ha! Looks like I w-won!"

Droy gave him a weak high five and patted him on the back. "Sure did! I didn't know who was gonna win that."

Turning to look at Naruto, Droy frowned a bit when he realised Naruto was only mildly out of breath. "Why aren't you tired?"

Laughing, Naruto scratched his cheek and sighed. "Um, I'm kind of a stamina freak. There are only like one or two people from home who can keep up with me. Jet did awesome to do that."

Patting his mate on the back again, Droy nodded. "You're damn right he is. No one can match his speed."

Laughing, Naruto shook his head. "You can't think about it like that. There will always be someone who will come along and be faster, stronger, more agile or more anything than you. You just gotta keep training so that it happens less."

Looking to the sky, Naruto noted it was now close to mid-afternoon. Looking down at the team, Naruto gave them a wave. "Well, I gotta go eat. I'll see you at the guild yeah?"

Looking up from rubbing Jet's back, Levy frowned. "Why don't you just walk with us?"

Laughing, Naruto brought his hands up in a cross. "Cause I'm already there."

And then in a puff of smoke, he was gone.

XxXxXxX

Blinking as he regained the memories mid meal, Naruto chuckled and tucked back into his food. "So Jet did beat me. Nice."

XxXxXxX

Stretching out on a table top, Naruto looked over at Cana as the girl studied a row of cards before her. "So have you found anything?"

Slapping down another card and flipping one over near the center of the group, she grumbled something before speaking up. "Naruto, dude, I already said that if I divine any information on Mystogan, I'll tell you the second I find it!"

Groaning, Naruto rolled over onto his stomach and kicked his feet in the air. "I just wish Makarov would come home already. He'd know where Mystogan is."

Rolling her eyes, Cana shook her head. "No, he wouldn't. Hell, with how secretive he is, I don't even know if Mystogan knows where Mystogan is."

Trying to work out that sentence, Naruto frowned and gave the brunette a minutes worth of silence. Towards the end of it though, Cana growled and flipped her cards all over. "Damn this! I can't find him anywhere and no, don't look at me like that. I've tried seven times already and got the same answer. Naruto, I tried, so now pay up."

Sighing dejectedly, Naruto handed over her some of the money he won from her. Grinning happily, she pocketed the Jewels for later and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Awww, come on now, don't cry! Here, have a keg with me."

Looking up at her, Naruto gave her a flat look. "I'm not crying and why would I want to drink that poison you seem to feed off?"

Grinning happily, Cana reached around behind her. "I thought you'd never ask. You see, being a part of this guild means you gotta deal with some crazy things. This is my way of dealing, and I love to share. So please, drink up and enjoy the moment with me."

Finding a mug of Cana's powerful drink in his hand, Naruto looked at it skeptically. If he didn't know any better, he could have sworn that the liquid was actually eating into the wooden cup. Feeling a hand pat his back, Naruto looked up at the devious woman. "Come now, it ain't that bad. It's just like losing your virginity! Burns like all hell first time around but gets better from there."

Naruto's eyes widened and he looked down at the broth before him. He hadn't even thought to compare something like that to this, but found it probably wasn't too far from the truth. "Come now, drink! Unless, you're scared that is?"

Growling, Naruto snapped a look up at her. Glaring at the drink, Naruto threw it to his lips and chugged the whole lot in one mouthful. Finishing it off, he let out a loud cough and smacked his chest a few times. He had been ready for the burn, but not quite as intensely as that. He did however earn a clap from his companion as she regarded him with a strange look of respect. "Well now, you gotta be the first person I've ever seen destroy a cup of that first time around without spewing it up everywhere. I'm impressed."

Naruto imagined that if bat piss had a taste, this would be it. The warm burn in his stomach however was rather pleasant and he smacked his lips a few times. "That was disgusting. Got any more?"

Laughing loudly, Naruto found his cup refilled. "Naruto my boy, I'd say we are gonna be good friends."

XxXxXxX

Hiccupping, Naruto looked into his cup as he found it suspiciously empty again. When he found out who was drinking all his stuff, he was gonna bring down all hell on their heads. It was quickly refilled by Cana though and all thoughts of bodily harm disappeared from the blond's mind. Thanking the woman, Naruto began to sip on it again.

It was strange being drunk because Naruto had the fox in his gut to contend with. Jiraiya had once tried to get the boy blind beyond comprehension, but the rate at which the alcohol was burned off was staggering. However, whatever this stuff was that Cana was giving him was powerful. If he guessed correctly, he wagered that it was probably one hundred and twenty five percent alcoholic. Despite this though, it didn't stop the buzz from fading rapidly once he stopped for a break.

Looking over to the woman who started all this, Naruto raised his cup to her. "So, how come you don't seem drunk? You drink this piss daily by the boatload, and yet you don't even have a flush to show of it! What's your secret?"

Grinning, the brunette raised her cup in return. "Practice my dear. When you've been drinking as long as me, you have a pretty good tolerance for it."

Nodding, Naruto went to take another sip but found his cup empty. Slamming it down on the bench top, he growled and looked around. "Alright, who the hell keeps drinking all my stuff?"

The surrounding mages all laughed and shook their heads while Cana just poured him some more. "That would be you. You just don't realise it."

Finding it full again, Naruto relaxed. "Oh, ok. Well, tell him I'll fight him if he does it again."

Rolling her eyes, Cana just nodded. "Sure thing champ."

Yawning, Naruto looked around and sighed. "You know what? I don't really wanna leave here. It's nice. No wars, no fighting... well, nothing too serious, and it's just... nice."

Looking over at him from the bench, Mira's ears pricked as she heard him start talking about his home. Wiping a cup down one last time, she placed it on the drying rack and walked over. "So why don't you, Naruto?"

Sighing, Naruto leaned back on the table and dropped his mug on the top. "Well... there's like this super freak who's bent on controlling like, the whole world and stuff. I can't just let that fly so I gotta go home. Not to mention I got this one friend who's super stupid and trying to kill Konoha. I gotta beat the hell out of him so I can put some sense back in his head. Besides, all my other friends are there and I miss them."

Cana raised an eyebrow but stayed silent as Mira sat down beside him. "Well... if you do go home and fix all that, might you come back? I mean, I know a few people who'd miss you here..."

Smiling to himself, Naruto looked down at the girl as the haze over his mind lifted. "Yeah, I'd like that. I just gotta try fix this stuff at home before I can come back here, you know?"

Smiling sadly, Mirajane nodded. "I guess so. Do you know how long it might take?"

Rubbing behind his neck as the last of the effects of alcohol left his system, Naruto groaned. "Awww, I really don't know. Not too long hopefully, maybe only a couple of years?"

"Oh, ok." Falling silent, Mirajane just took to looking at Naruto as he yawned again. Scratching his head, he looked down at himself and sighed. "Well, I better have a shower and get ready for bed."

Standing, he went to walk but was stopped by Cana. "Hey, if you wanna actually sleep in a real bed tonight, you can stay at my place."

She topped the suggestion off with a sexy wink. Naruto instantly started blushing all shades of red as his mind went into overdrive. Oh the possibilities...

Trailing off as she started laughing at him, Cana sent him a less sexy and bit more of a wily wink. "Bah, I was just kidding. I got a spare. It's comfier than the one in here. However, if you _are_ thinking of that though, I wouldn't say no to a cuddle..."

Sending her a wink of his own, Naruto turned his back on her. "And how would you like that cuddle? As a male or female? I assure you, either works fine with me."

Hearing the girl splutter as she took another mouthful from her mug, Naruto wandered away with a laugh and chalked one up to himself.

XxXxXxX

The morning light slipped through the window above and slowly filled the room with its soft, inviting light. As it slowly spread its warm tendrils across the room, it finally alighted on Naruto's face and began to wake him. Moaning softly to himself, he pulled one eyelid open and looked around the room. It was a fairly sparse area, the walls a simple white with a plain set of shelves in the corner holding a few old tatty books. Stretching in the bed, Naruto pulled himself up and found himself looking down at a light pink blanket that was dotted all over with slightly darker pink spots.

Raising an eyebrow as he pulled his legs from under it, Naruto hadn't expected Cana would be one of those kind of girls. Stretching as the sunlight warmed his back; he stood up and walked out through the door. Wandering out, he found Cana in a set of blue pajamas with little gold stars all over them. She looked up at him with a smile as she chewed on a piece of toast. "Morning sunshine, sleep well?"

Nodding sleepily, Naruto stifled a yawn and scratched his head. "Yeah, it was great thanks. Though I wasn't expecting a pink blanket of all things in your house."

Shrugging, the woman took another bite. "Eh, I got it as a present from a friend years ago. Not quite my style, but I couldn't throw it out, so it lives in there now."

Nodding, Naruto reached out for the piece of toast that was offered to him. Taking a bite, he looked over at the woman and frowned. Seeing his face, Cana leaned in. "What's wrong?"

Coming back from his thoughts, Naruto blinked several times and looked up into her eyes. "Uh, nothing much, I was just surprised actually that you cover up more when you sleep than during the day, that's all."

Rolling her eyes, Cana chuckled. "Yeah, I get that. Though if it helps put things back in character, I got nothing on underneath."

She chuckled as Naruto then tried to blow the piece of toast he was chewing on back out his nose. Coughing, he managed to swallow it and sighed once done. "You're an unusual girl, you know that?"

Laughing happily, she nodded. "Yeah, I get that too. But hey, it keeps life interesting."

Smiling, Naruto finished off the last mouthful. "It sure does. At least I don't feel too weird now just walking out in my boxers."

Standing, the tall woman collected the plates. "Eh, I don't mind. I'm actually surprised Gray is the only one who wanders around like that. You could start a trend or something."

Shaking his head, Naruto grabbed the cup of milk placed before him and chugged it. Wiping his mouth, he looked up at the woman. "Nah, I like my orange too much. Brings out the colour in my eyes, ya know?"

Turning to head back to his room, he then felt a hand pat his backside. Spinning around, Cana was leaning back from the deed with a naughty grin on her face. "Brings out other parts of you too."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked from his bum to her hand. She just sent him a wink and pointed at his room. "Off you go now. Don't wanna be late getting to the guild."

Shrugging, the blond just accepted that he was more awesome than he gave himself credit for and wandered off to get dressed.

XxXxXxX

Standing out the front of her house, Cana locked the door and slipped the key into her pocket. Turning to look down at Naruto, she smiled. "So, shall we head on over?"

Seeing him frowning though, she walked down. "What's wrong?"

Casting an eye over at her, he clicked his tongue. "Something doesn't feel right. Everything's too quiet."

Coming to stand beside him, she looked around and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Normally there are heaps of people running around here by now."

Humming distractedly, Naruto began walking at a brisk pace. "Come on, let's see if anyone else has noticed."

XxXxXxX

The two of them looked up in horror at the sight before them. A crowd had gathered around the base of the guild, but it wasn't hard to see what was wrong. The entire guild building had been punctured through with over ten massively thick iron bars, the beams each easily being several meters in thickness and close to twenty five in length. Staring up at them in shock, Cana looked around and saw Mirajane standing back, a downcast look on her face. Running over to her, she grabbed the smaller girl's shoulders and shook her gently. "Mirajane, tell me, who did this?"

Looking up into Cana's brown eyes, her bottom lip trembled slightly. "Phantom Lord."

XxXxXxX

_A/N – sorry for another filler of sorts. I was planning to jump into things this chapter but then realised that there were a few days between things. I'm cutting that down to just 2 days though, so you shouldn't be too unhappy. _

_So yeah, you all can pretty well guess what's coming next can't you? This should be a treat to write._

_Anywayz, enjoy the chapter. I'm off to destroy some dirt jumps._

_Just as an after thought, yes, 125% alcohol is impossible, but when you're drunk it makes perfect sense._

_Lanky Nathan_

_Note - rewrote parts in this chapter. Nothing ground breaking, but you'll pick up on the differences. Vandenbz for the beta and Wyrd Darcnyzz pointing out more obscure errors._


	13. Chapter 13

Naruto sighed as he looked around at the crestfallen guild members. He was currently sitting at a table near the back of the basement by himself, watching the listless men and women quietly talk amongst themselves. This was easily the quietest he had ever seen the mages of Fairy Tail and he couldn't blame them.

Makarov had turned up not too long after Naruto and Cana had and promptly ordered everyone downstairs. Once there, he had told the outraged mob before him to shut up, sit down and do nothing. His reasoning behind it was that any guild cowardly enough to attack them in the middle of the night wasn't worth their time. So long as everyone was ok, he was fine with that.

Now, Naruto could easily see the old man's point, but it still didn't sit very well with him. The memory of arriving in the dustbowl that was once Konoha was still fresh in his mind, so Naruto knew exactly what everyone was experiencing, only this time around they have been forbidden to fight back. It was immensely frustrating, but the guild would be repaired soon enough and the attack would fade into the past.

Hearing the tell-tale tapping of soft shoes, Naruto looked up at a distressed Mirajane as she approached him. His features softened somewhat and he sent her an encouraging smile as she struggled to meet his gaze. "Hey, what're you doing over here?"

The girl sighed and she tried to smile. It didn't work. "Well... I thought if I just keep myself busy and try keep people's minds off everything, I could help the guild still feel somewhat normal, you know? I saw you over here so I thought I'd just see if you wanted anything."

Naruto didn't really have any need for anything right now, but he saw this as the girls stress outlet. "Uh, yeah I'm actually pretty thirsty. Would you mind getting me a couple of big jugs of water?"

Looking up in mild surprise, Mirajane paused. "You... you really want that much water?"

Nodding, Naruto tapped his pocket. "Yep. I wanna store some for later when I go out training so a few jugs would do well. So, do you want a hand or are you alright?"

Shaking her head, Mirajane tried another smile. "No, I'll be ok. I'll be back shortly."

Smiling sadly as he watched her turn away, Naruto leant back into his chair and looked to the roof. He really didn't want to be stuck in here all day because all the negative emotions in the guild would drive him over the edge and he'd go break something. While taking his anger out on the nearest Phantom Lord Guild segment sounded incredibly tempting, Naruto couldn't justify it beyond revenge, and that was everything Jiraiya-sensei and Nagato had worked towards eliminating. Hearing a chair bumped, Naruto looked down and saw Mirajane expertly traversing the obstacle course of tables and chairs while holding up several litres of water with each arm. Once she made the table, she dropped it all and sighed in relief. "Well, there you are Naruto. Is there anything else you need?"

Shaking his head, Naruto looked up at Mira and gave her a warm smile. "No, that will be all. I'll be heading out now to train anyway. If you need me you know where I'll be."

Doing her best to sound happy, Mirajane nodded. "Ok. Well you have fun and I'll see you this evening yeah?"

Grinning, Naruto reached out and lifted her chin up with one finger so her eyes met his. "You sure will. And don't you worry either; everything will be fine before you know it. I promise!"

Mira then finally smiled a smile that reached her eyes. Not saying anything, she just nodded and turned to grab the empty water jugs. Happy that he had managed to lift the girl's mood for a little while at least, Naruto turned and walked to the stairs.

XxXxXxX

Standing under the midday sun, Naruto fished out his seal and released a little water to drink. He had been sparring with himself for the last few hours in an effort to calm himself down and it had been a little help. He still wanted to destroy something, but it was more directed at inanimate objects now. Sitting down for a short break, Naruto squinted up at the sky and began pondering his situation again. As much as he was trying to avoid it, the blond was becoming rather attached to all his new acquaintances.

They were all such a breath of fresh air from all the fighting and battle worn faces that he was getting used to seeing back home. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying it here, but duty came before pleasure. The lack of options however was quite a hindrance. Mystogan had proven to be a seemingly dead end (Naruto still wanted to chase him down for more information) and his original spawning ground was useless unless he suddenly developed some time/space Ninjutsu that rivalled Kakashi's technique.

Taking another sip from his seal, Naruto suddenly startled as he remembered something. His summons! They had reverse summoned him to Mount Myōboku a couple of times, so maybe his toads could reverse summon him from here! Kicking himself repeatedly for letting this gem of an idea slip his mind until now, he nipped his thumb with his teeth, breaking through enough layers to draw blood. Flicking through a short list of hand seals, Naruto slapped his palm down on the ground.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!**"

A circle made up of small squiggles encompassed his hand while several straight lines shot out from the point of contact. A small billow of smoke went up and Naruto cheered in excitement. "YES! Gamakichi, am I glad to see you!"

However, as the smoke cloud cleared, Naruto halted in his celebration as he looked down. Instead of the spunky orange toad with a snazzy blue overcoat, there flapped around a tadpole. Kneeling down, Naruto looked at the tiny thing before it disappeared from a lack of water. Sitting back in confusion, Naruto looked at his hands. He had used the same amount of chakra as usual to summon his little buddy didn't he? Trying again, Naruto called out the technique and was rewarded with the same tadpole. It disappeared faster this time, obviously not having recovered from the last summon.

Crossing his legs under him, Naruto also crossed his arms in thought and frowned. He had only ever made the mistake of summoning a tadpole when he had first learnt the technique, and that was because his chakra had been all out of whack. The weird thing though was this tadpole was teeny-tiny, like not even a quarter the size of Naruto's first ever attempt. It was the size Naruto could have expected an average civilian to have created, had they been able.

Having a quick feel through his own power, he certainly couldn't say it wasn't a mistake of his own. His chakra was still present as always, and his control was good enough that it shouldn't have mucked up now after so many times of having performed the technique. A few other possibilities as to why it couldn't work ran through his head, but none were really concrete. Growling, Naruto pumped more chakra into the technique this time.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!**"

Again, he got a tadpole, though marginally bigger.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!**"

Same result.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!**"

Growling, Naruto looked at his hand in frustration. "Why won't you work?"

Falling onto his back, Naruto looked to the clear sky and growled again. All the hard work he had put into calming himself had all but vanished and now Naruto had the overwhelming need to vent his anger by kicking someone's head in. Sitting up again, Naruto took a deep breath and willed the violent thoughts away.

Trying to focus on something else, Naruto thought back to the massive tornado he had created back when he was helping out the guild with Eisenwald. Bringing a hand up in front of him, he began circulating his chakra around it, idly noting that watching the new technique seemed to calm his nerves. The ball of rotating air then began working its way down his arm as he willed his chakra to push it down, spinning the current around his limb in a protective shroud.

Halting its movement just before the elbow, Naruto lowered his hand to the ground to see what would happen. At first all that happened was the air currents were disrupted and a few sticks and small rocks were thrown around. As he upped the amount of chakra though, the winds began to eat into the ground and pulled lumps of dirt out, absorbing them into the mini tornado in the process. The rapidly spinning twigs and rocks however bit into his skin though, so Naruto had to drop the technique before his arm was shredded.

Staring at the healing cuts thoughtfully, Naruto replayed the technique over in his mind. Keeping it that close to his skin would hurt more than anything, and unless he had the chakra control of a Hyuuga, he wouldn't be able to protect himself. It was looking like it was going to have to be a larger sized technique so he could control it enough so that it didn't cause him harm. Sighing as he dropped the technique, Naruto thought back to the most pressing problem with a clearer mind. Creating new attacks could wait.

Frowning as he considered his summoning problem, Naruto groaned and ruffled his hair. Right now, the blond guessed he'd just get angry if he kept at it. Feeling his stomach growl loudly, Naruto looked down. He'd been just as shocked as everyone else at the attack on the guild and as such, had totally forgotten about eating more. Standing, Naruto dusted himself down and looked back at the guild. It was past lunch time and if he was lucky, Natsu and the rest of the crew might have gotten home in that time. There wasn't much he could do on an empty stomach anyway, so with a jump, Naruto headed back to the guild.

XxXxXxX

Hearing a thump and a frustrated scream from within the guild, Naruto rolled his eyes and smiled. It seemed like Natsu was home. Walking down the stairs, Naruto watched a clearly drunk Makarov dashing for the toilets, hands clamped down over the front of his shorts. Turning to look at where he came from, Naruto spotted the familiar red, pink, black and blond locks of the strongest team in Fairy Tail. Wandering over as Natsu exploded in anger again; Naruto raised a hand in greeting as they noticed him.

"Howdy. Did your mission go alright?"

Frowning, Erza looked over at the other three. "Thankfully it didn't go too badly. They are extremely lucky however that the Master isn't in a state to punish them for this clear violation of the rules. I'd do it myself but he told me not to bother."

Interrupting Erza completely, Natsu bounded over and landed mere inches from Naruto's face, his volume level deafening. "Naruto! Did you see the bastards that did this to our guild? Where are they?"

Not giving Naruto a chance to respond, Erza reached out and grabbed Natsu by the collar and then threw him forcefully into the wall. She looked over at him in annoyance as he slid down the surface. "Honestly Natsu, learn some manners. I was talking first, so wait your turn. Besides, I doubt Naruto saw anything as he was asleep just like everyone else when this happened, correct?"

Turning to look at the blond, she saw him nod. "Yeah, Cana offered me a comfier bed last night so I stayed at hers."

Overhearing the conversation, it was Lucy's turn to butt in, her cheeks flushed as her mind wandered. "C-Cana's? But I though you two had only just met!"

Nodding, Naruto grinned. "Yup. It was super soft so I had a great sleep."

Lucy then kind of drifted away as her face flushed even hotter, the girl mumbling something under her breath as she overheated. Turning his attention back to Erza, Naruto shrugged. "So yeah, I saw as much as everyone else."

She nodded knowingly and looked over to Natsu as he groaned and held his nose. "Ok, I have finished speaking now so if you have anything you want to say to Naruto, you may now."

Pulling himself to his feet, Natsu looked over at Naruto and frowned. "So did you try chase them down or did the Master stop you too?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm still not a part of the guild, so Makarov really can't tell me not to. However, I didn't chase them for the same reason Makarov didn't."

Natsu gave him a questioning look. "Because it's forbidden by the council?"

Sweat dropping, Naruto shook his head. "Ah, no, it was because no one was hurt."

Frowning, Natsu pouted. "But what about the guild? It's completely destroyed!"

Leaning back on a table behind him, Naruto shook his head. "Here, let me ask you a question. What do you think is Fairy Tail? What makes Fairy Tail, Fairy Tail?"

Pausing at the unexpected question, Natsu thought for a second. "Uh, the guild obviously. This is the guild Fairy Tail."

Naruto leaned in a bit. "So this building is Fairy Tail? Without it, there is nothing left at all?"

Frowning at the curve ball, Natsu considered his next answer. "Well... no, we're all still here."

Leaning back, Naruto smiled. "And that's why I didn't chase them. It's not the building that's Fairy Tail; it's the mages that make it up. This whole place could be destroyed, but if everyone is perfectly ok, Fairy Tail will survive."

Eyes widening at the revelation, Natsu blinked several times. "So that's why Makarov didn't chase them down?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'd say that's a part of it, but that's definitely my reason."

"Ah..."

Now at a bit of a loss for words, Natsu looked over at his companions and frowned. "Do you guys think the same?"

Seeing Erza and Gray nod, he smiled. "Well dur, it's about time you caught on, you wet ember."

Freezing at Gray's taunt, Natsu looked over dangerously. "Care to repeat that you glorified excuse for a puddle?"

The boys were now butting heads and it didn't take long before it all degraded into a brawl and several people were dragged in. Naruto, Erza and Lucy had all taken a step back before the fight started and were watching on as it grew. Leaning into her two powerful friends, Lucy looked at the mass worriedly. "Uh, guys? Did you want to leave before we get sucked into that?"

Naruto shrugged while Erza hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose it would be good to go for a walk. We can stop at a restaurant and get some food if you'd like?"

Naruto's stomach decided to make itself known and let out a mighty roar of neglect. "Yeah, I haven't eaten anything substantial all day. Let's go."

XxXxXxX

Wandering back into the guild an hour later, Naruto, Erza and Lucy looked around the group. It seemed that the fight Gray and Natsu had had managed to restore some form of normality to the guild and light chatter seemed to have filled the empty air. Walking over to the bar, Naruto sat down with a sigh and patted his now full stomach. "Damn that was good. What was it called again?"

Still not quite able to believe how much he had consumed, Lucy sat down carefully beside him. "So, do you mean the name of the restaurant you basically ate out of business, or the actual food?"

Burping happily, Naruto looked over at her. "The actual food."

Placing a finger to her lips, Lucy frowned. "Well, it started off with a roast meal, followed up by a steak and chips, then a flying fish, then a bowl of ice cream, and then I kinda lost count as the meals blurred into one."

Conceding her point, Naruto grinned happily. "Well, it was delicious, all of it. We'll have to go back again."

Looking down at her half empty wallet, a few tears escaped Lucy's eyes. "Next time, I won't help pay for the meal. You can get a job and pay for it all by yourself."

Nodding but not saying anything, Naruto smiled happily. She was just as soft as Iruka-sensei. She'll buy him another meal yet. Hearing a loud clap ring across the room, everyone's heads turned as they saw the Master rise to his feet on top of his table.

"Alright you bratty lot, shut up for one second. I was just discussing matters over with Mirajane and we decided that everyone should stay together for the next couple of nights. Things are still fresh in everyone's minds and as a precaution in case some rogue Phantom Lord member is still around, everyone should stick together, at least for a week."

Hearing a murmur of approval, Makarov folded his hands behind his back. "So everyone, stay together with your team and pick one member who you will stay over with. That is all."

Sitting back down as the group began to whisper amongst themselves, Naruto looked over at Erza and Lucy. Leaning in, Lucy frowned slightly. "So who will you stay with?"

Blinking a few times, Naruto shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't even really have to, since I'm an outsider. Besides, I'm easily strong enough to handle some punk ass wannabe mage who's dumb enough to try his luck with me."

Just then, Lucy and Erza both looked up and Naruto sensed a familiar presence approach him from behind. Turning, Naruto sent Mirajane a smile. "Why hello, it's been a while!"

Rolling her eyes, Mira playfully slapped the back of his head. "Hush up will you? I'm actually coming over to ask if you would be willing to stay with Cana again. She doesn't really have a permanent team, so if you could stick with her for a bit, that would be just great."

Shrugging indifferently, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, why not? It's not like I'll be staying with anyone else."

Hearing a squeak, Mira looked over and saw Lucy blushing up a storm as she looked over at the tall woman currently sinking a barrel of strong liquor. Raising an eyebrow, she nudged Naruto. "What's wrong with Lucy?"

Naruto just grinned. "I think she thinks me and Cana shared a bed last night."

Looking down at Naruto, Mira pursed her lips slightly. "Did you?"

Looking up at the girl, Naruto smirked. "Nah, but it's funny watching her struggle."

"Oh. That could have been kinda hot if you had though."

Snorting as he choked on his own spit, Naruto spun around to glance at the departing bar maid and watched as she sauntered away, a cheeky giggle reaching his ears. Not allowing this to go unpunished, Naruto slipped from his chair and followed her. Tailing her as she wandered from table to table, Naruto eventually got within range and waited. The second he saw her bend down, he jumped and held his top out. "MIRA!"

Hearing her name so close behind her, the startled girl stood up with her head and upper body going straight up the inside of Naruto's jacket. She screamed in surprise and began beating at the fabric as Naruto peeked down his collar. Seeing his target come into view, Naruto flipped his shirt up over her head and snagged the little book on the way up. Dancing back, everyone within view burst out laughing as Mira steadied herself, looking extremely ruffled. Turning, she tried to glare at him, but her usually upright fringe fell into her face and she sneezed as it tickled her dainty nose. Laughing loudly, Naruto breezed in and ruffled her hair some more before running away with the frustrated girl crying out after him.

XxXxXxX

Finding himself sitting out the front of Cana's house, Naruto sighed and looked up at the setting sun. He really was growing fond of everyone here, despite his need to get home. Looking down at the book in his hand, Naruto flipped it open and looked through it. Blank pages stared back up at him and Naruto closed it with a snap. He was about to tuck it away when he thought back to his summoning dilemma. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked around. Seeing no one, he slipped the small pen from the spine and opened up to the third page. Hesitating, the pen hovered above the page for a bit before he started writing down his thoughts for the day.

Quickly finishing up, Naruto snapped it shut and tucked it away. What he wasn't expecting was the amused snort just in front of him and he jumped. "Well how about that, you gone and got yourself a diary. How cute!"

Looking up at a smirking Cana, Naruto blushed and crossed his arms. "It's not a diary! Besides, Mirajane is making me do it."

Raising an eyebrow, Cana walked forward. "Oh? Well where's Mirajane to make you write in your not-diary?"

Spluttering, Naruto stood up. "Well, she, she said that I had to or else, dattebayo!"

Looking over her shoulder, Cana let out an amused squeal. "Dattebayo? Now that is just adorable!"

Blushing harder, Naruto stomped his foot. "S-shut up!"

Laughing, Cana opened her door and walked in. "Yeah, yeah. So, you coming in?"

XxXxXxX

That night went fairly smoothly with nothing too unusual happening. They ate, conversed, watched a bit of TV, bid each other good night and went to sleep in their separate beds. Everything went smoothly until the morning, the only hiccup being when Naruto jolted awake after a dream in which he turned into a bug. By that stage though, the sun had already started peeking over the horizon, so Naruto decided that he'd crawl out and get breakfast started.

Staggering into the kitchen, his bleary mind noted that Cana was still in bed. Yawning as he got started, Naruto fished around in the cupboard and fridge for anything that resembled food. Starting up some bacon and eggs, Naruto looked over at Cana's door. She had let him stay here two nights in a row and hadn't asked for a Jewel in return. So cracking another egg into the pan, Naruto got started on her breakfast.

Flipping the bacon, Naruto looked over at the door and raised an eyebrow. He had thought Cana would have arisen by now, after all the noise he made. Shrugging, he flicked off the gas and loaded the meat and eggs onto a plate for each of them. Walking over to her door, he kicked it several times and called out. "Cana? You in there?"

Hearing a rustling of covers, her voice floated back out. "Yeah, still here. You can come in if you want."

Standing back, Naruto lifted his foot and twisted open the handle with his toes. Kicking it open, he wandered in and saw Cana tucked under her covers, lying with her hands crossed behind her head, her masses of long brown hair covering her pillow and quilt. She looked up at him through sleepy eyelashes and smiled as he walked in balancing the two plates. "Breakfast in bed? I was hoping for it but thought it to be just a dream... thanks for making my dream come true beautiful."

She winked at him and blew the blond a kiss. Naruto just smirked and sat down beside her. He placed the plate on her stomach and shrugged. "Well, what am I meant to do? You let me stay here while you pay for the place, so it's the least I can do."

Nodding, the brunette grinned up at him. "Yeah, I'd say so. You can stay here for as long as you want though if this is what I can wake up to every morning."

Snorting, Naruto picked up a piece of his meal and stuffed it into his mouth. They then fell into silence as they ate, each comfortable in the others presence. Finishing up, Cana sighed and stretched her arms above her head. "Well now, thank you very much for that, but I best put some clothes on before we head out."

Looking down at her, Naruto cocked an eyebrow. "Wait, you do have underwear on under there, yeah?"

Stretching out her long, unclothed arms, she wriggled her eyebrows. "Does it look like it?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno; I don't have x-ray vision, though right now it's sounding like it'd be pretty awesome."

The girl simply sent him a smile and rested her hands on the top of the quilt. Looking at the smooth skin, Naruto let his gaze drift down to the curves hidden beneath the covers. Giving her a once over, he finally nodded to himself. "Yup. X-ray vision right now would be totally amazing."

Laughing, Cana handed him her plate and pushed him off the bed. "Yeah, I know a lot of people in the guild that would love to have that too, both men and women. Now scat, I gotta find my undies."

Pausing to look once more at the teasing brunette, Naruto sighed and walked through the door.

"Close it!"

Pouting, Naruto pulled the door closed with his foot as Cana chuckled from inside her sanctuary.

XxXxXxX

Standing outside as Cana pulled the door closed, Naruto looked around. Seeing less than the usual amount of people, Naruto frowned. 'Not again.'

Seeing his temporary roommate wander down, Naruto called out to her. "Cana, let's hurry. I have a feeling something else happened."

Looking around, Cana frowned. "But why? There are still people around, though not as many as usual I'll admit."

Naruto shook his head. "No, I've learnt to look out for something like this. Something is definitely up. Let's hurry."

XxXxXxX

Reaching the guild, the duo looked around as they tried to spot anything out of the ordinary. Nothing seemed to have changed though, except for a number of quietly spoken people around them, all glancing at the two. Deciding it was time to be straightforward; Naruto walked up to the nearest person and tapped her shoulder. "Hey, what's all the whispering about?"

Instantly finding it awkward to speak, the woman's eyes flicked from Naruto, to Cana and back again. "Well... actually, I'd rather not tell you, just go see for yourself. It's at Southgate Park."

Nodding, Naruto thanked the lady and walked back over to Cana. "How fast are you?"

Stalling at the direct question, Cana raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I ain't bad, but I have nothing on someone like Erza or Jet."

Scooping the surprised girl up into his arms with a squeal, she looked up at him in shock as he stared running. "Hold on tight then, I'll get us there in a minute."

She then squealed again as Naruto leapt to the roof tops.

XxXxXxX

Reaching the park, Naruto dropped a shocked Cana to her feet and marched forward. There was quite a crowd gathered around the base of the massive tree in the middle, shocked and horrified whispers surrounding him as he pushed through. Cana followed closely behind, squinting up at the strange markings on the tree.

Naruto's keen eyesight however picked up on what those 'markings' truly were. His fists clenched in anger as he desperately tried to stop images of his friend's home jumping into his mind. It wouldn't do well to go berzerk here. Reaching the front of the crowd, Naruto stopped beside Erza, Natsu, Lucy and Gray. Cana gasped as she then clearly saw what exactly was up there. "What the... who the hell did this?"

The cause for all the commotion was Levy, Jet and Droy. Or more so, the horrific positions they had been forced into. Each had been essentially crucified to the massive trunk of the tree situated in the middle of the park, several large metal bars bent around their arms, holding them up and fastened to the trunk with thick nails. Each member of Shadow Gear was also bloodied, beaten and half naked. Only a few bare scraps of clothing covered their modesty from the world as they hung there unconscious and broken.

Erza then pointed up at a strange drawing on Levy's bruised stomach. It was a symbol that looked like the bottom two thirds of an eye with two identical eyelashes sticking out from the bottom of it at about a forty-five degree angle. From the very bottom of the curve, right under the single dot in the middle of the semicircle, swirled out an odd tail, rather reminiscent of a pig's tail. "Phantom Lord did this, that's who."

Hearing the crowd parting in quiet murmurs, Naruto looked over to see Makarov walking up towards the tree. The old man took one look up at the bashed bodies of his mages and instantly crushed the staff he was walking with in his hand. "Being reduced to a rundown beer lounge I could deal with... but no parent can remain silent after seeing their children's blood. THIS MEANS WAR."

Turning, the old man looked up at the blond beside him. "Naruto! Get them down for us. We must take them to the hospital."

Nodding quietly in well controlled anger, Naruto closed his eyes and willed three clones into existence. They ran from the clouds, up the face of the tree and all grabbed one of the beaten mages and lifted them up, taking the strain from their airways. They then reached out and effortlessly pulled the iron bars from the tree. Unwinding them from each member's arms, they dropped the iron to the ground and gently cradled each of their precious cargo as they descended.

Reaching the ground, Naruto nodded to them and looked over to the mages with him. "Who can take me to the hospital?"

Hesitantly raising her arm, a grief stricken Lucy looked over through tear filled eyes. "I can..."

Crossing his fingers, Naruto created another clone and it knelt down before Lucy. She sniffed and climbed on before pointing out over the city. "It's that way."

The four Naruto's and their passengers then shot off into the sky as they leapt towards the hospital. Watching them leave, Makarov looked at the mages around him. "Assemble the guild. We march out in thirty minutes."

XxXxXxX

Barely twenty minutes later, Naruto found himself at the back of a massive number of mages from Fairy Tail heading out to do battle. Erza dropped back to walk beside him. Looking over, the blond raised an eyebrow. "You ok?"

Erza nodded. "I am as well as I could be. How about you? You seemed to have a bit of a closer friendship with Levy."

Naruto just blinked. "I see everyone here as my friend, whether I'm a part of the guild or not. When that happens to one of my friends, the person who did it better watch out."

Humming softly, Erza pondered her next question. "So... will you be seeking death for those who did this?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. That wouldn't give them the chance to change their ways. I am not above kicking that error into them in the form of broken bones though."

Happy with the response, Erza's face hardened. "Very well. Just make sure you leave some for me."

Cracking his knuckles, Naruto glared ahead at the town that appeared over the sweeping hill. "Can't promise that sorry."

XxXxXxX

The mages inside of the Phantom Lord guild were all laughing and talking loudly amongst themselves, obviously pleased with the destruction of Fairy Tail's headquarters. The fact that their star member had also roughed up a couple of those flies only added more fuel to their joy. Booze was freely passed around and guild mates swung from one another's arms as they continued the celebration.

Their party however was dramatically interrupted when a dark rumbling echoed from the other side of the guild's entrance. Most only had the chance to look over before an explosion blew the massive wooden doors from their very hinges, the heavy doors being thrown backwards by the power thrown into them from outside. They collected several Phantom Lord guild members as they flew across the room, smashing into the far walls and reducing them to nothing but rubble, leaving the unfortunate mages caught in their path unconsious.

Looking back at the doors, the guild saw a single pink haired mage with the fires of hell burning within his eyes staring down at them all. Standing up from his shoulder charge, he stepped in as the rest of the guild began filing in through the front of the building. Suddenly, a thunderous voice filled the area and all looked over to see Makarov literally bristling with unbridled fury and power. "WE ARE FAIRY TAIL! COME AT US NOW!"

Instantly, the massive room exploded into action as mages began flying at one another, powerful spells being conjured up and thrown across the area with loud booms. However, despite the mayhem there was a single, unimpressive blond kid walking forward from the back of the Fairy Tail group, an eerie calm on his face as he looked over the battlefield. Eyeing up one of the closest men, Naruto raised a hand and pointed at him. "You. Who was it that attacked the mages?"

Snorting, the man leered at him. "You honestly think I'll tell you losers who just dared to blow off our doors?"

Before he could even flinch, Naruto was suddenly in his face, cold blue eyes boring down on him. "Wrong answer."

A thunderous crack sounded out and the man shot backwards like a bullet, slamming through the solid stone walls with a sickening crunch. Looking around, Naruto gazed upon the next closest mage as all those around him looked on in shock. He walked over calmly, seemingly sliding around the various localised fights around him. Upon reaching the woman, Naruto looked into her eyes and repeated his question.

"Who did it?"

Whipping out a hand, Naruto caught the incoming fist and glared at the woman. "Well?"

She sneered up at Naruto and laughed. "That would be our number one mage, Gajeel. Best of luck with beating him, assuming you even find him!"

"Thank you." Gripping the fist tight, Naruto spun and slung the screaming woman across the room. "ERZA!"

Hearing his voice above the noise, the powerful woman saw the Phantom Lord mage flying towards her. Spinning around with a rising back heel, she connected to the hapless woman's face and sent her spinning over to the far wall with a crash. Turning to look back at Naruto, she saw he had disappeared. She didn't have time to wonder where though when several men jumped her with a battle cry. Her eyes flashed and within seconds, all attackers were sent flying backwards, blood shooting out from many deep slices all over their bodies.

XxXxXxX

High above the room, a strange man sat looking down at the chaos with a slightly maniacal glint in his red eyes. Spiky black hair was slicked back over his shoulder blades revealing a wide forehead and hairless brows. In the eyebrow's place however were three small studs that ran down to his sharp nose. Again, three studs lined each side of his nose, another one located just under his bottom lip and then yet another further down in the middle of his chin. A tight, gunmetal gray vest covered his chest, its lack of sleeves revealing a pair of powerful arms that were casually draped over his knees. Four studs lined each forearm, his right one covered in multiple scars from battles past. His hands were covered in fingerless maroon gloves, the backs and bottoms covered with studded metal plates. The bottom of the vest then flared out like the bottom of a trench coat from under his pale belt, revealing from the front a pair of baggy beige, full length pants, tucked into knee high boots. Finishing off the strange attire was an odd wing-like piece, attached to his right shoulder with a massive stud.

Chuckling to himself, he didn't even move when Naruto flickered into view beside him. Casually turning his head, he looked up at the blond. "Well now, I wasn't expecting someone to find me so quickly."

Naruto said nothing and just kept staring at the strange man. Eventually though, Naruto spoke up. "You are Gajeel I assume?"

Grinning, he nodded. "That be I. And who might you be?"

Naruto shook his head. "A nobody. You do realise though, that those people you attacked were friends of mine?"

Standing, the tall man looked down at the blond. "Yeah, 'course I did. That's the only way to get your pathetic guild into action."

Naruto relaxed a bit, readying himself for the attack. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. I have no formal attachment to that guild. At best I am friends with the members."

Throwing his head back in a sharp bark of laughter, Gajeel looked down at him with piercing eyes. "That ain't what I read this morning blondie."

Frowning, Naruto looked up at him sceptically. "Where did you hear that?"

Grinning, Gajeel then exploded forward, fist raised high. "Why don't you just beat the answer out of me?"

Swinging forward, the massive man laughed cruelly as his fist buried itself deeply into the blond's stomach. Naruto's eyes widened in pain and his mouth flew open as droplets of spit shot from his mouth. No droplets landed on Gajeel though as suddenly, the resistance around his fist seemed to explode, leaving him staring at the dissipating cloud in surprise. Behind that however stood Naruto, an angry glint in his eyes. "I thought you'd never ask."

Flashing out in a display of blinding speed, Naruto's foot buried itself deep into the massive man's stomach and blew him backwards. A shockwave exploded out from the point of contact and Naruto watched on impassively as the man blew a huge hole through the stone wall, his body flying away into the distance. Flashing to the hole, Naruto created a clone and jumped into the sky. The clone rolled over onto its back and Naruto placed his feet on the others, and then both kicked off, the clone dispelling under the force while Naruto was sent rocketing after Gajeel.

XxXxXxX

Grunting as he hit the mountain face, Gajeel silently thanked his ability to turn himself to metal as he was buried deep into the ground. That midget packed a solid hit. Digging his way out, the raven haired man shook himself free of dirt and was unsurprised to see the blond standing before him, as calm and collected as ever.

Letting out a laugh, Gajeel pointed at Naruto. "I gotta hand it to you, there ain't been many people who have hit me that hard before."

Naruto just started walking towards his opponent. "I assure you, before the fight finishes, you'll know that there is no one in this world who could match how hard I'll hit you."

Cackling, Gajeel sneered at him and crooked a finger at him. "That's a big call there. Come to papa and show me what you got."

His eyes then widened as Naruto suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Wha-"

Not even given a chance to finish his question, a punch nailed the man in the middle of his back and sent him spiralling away into a large rock. Jumping to his feet, Gajeel's eyes flicked around in hopes that he could spot the illusive blond. "Come out and play like a real man! Stop hiding behind your little puppets!"

Seeing Naruto walk up from behind the rock, the man grinned. "So, you decided to listen aye?"

Naruto said nothing and continued to walk towards him. Gajeel just laughed however and spun around as Naruto flew in from behind. "You think you could get the drop on me twice hey? HA, don't think so!"

Lashing out, Gajeel's arm suddenly turned into a thick metal beam and shot out towards the blond. The iron smacked Naruto solidly in the gut and blew him backwards. The iron man let out a victorious laugh, but it was cut short when that Naruto suddenly exploded. "Yes, I did listen. Best watch where you're looking."

Growling, Gajeel spun around and slammed his metal arm into the ground, rock and dirt exploding out from the point of contact. Naruto's eyes had easily tracked the sweeping movement however, and had sidestepped at the last minute. Sweeping a foot under Gajeel's legs, the man found himself airborne for a split second before Naruto dropped a heavy elbow deep into his gut. Spit and a little bit of blood shot from the man's mouth as the blow ruptured some blood vessels within his stomach. Not a moment later, a loud crunch sounded out as Gajeel found himself buried deep in the ground again. Looking up with rage filled eyes, Gajeel focused on the calm blond above him. "Finished?"

The ground around the iron man exploded as he lashed out with powerful arms, propelling him from his hole and up into the air. "Oh you just done it boy. **Iron Dragon's Roar!**"

Inhaling an inhuman amount of air, Gajeel brought his fists to his mouth as a bright chrome, magic circle exploded out from around his face. Screaming out in effort, a deep gray tornado suddenly howled out and shot down towards Naruto. Jumping backwards, Naruto noted how the powerful wind obliterated the ground where it made contact, tiny blades of razor-sharp metal within the screaming attack shredding anything they came in contact with.

Frowning as Gajeel directed the attack to follow Naruto, the blond danced sideways as the tornado quickly caught up to him. 'No time!'

Letting out a massive laugh, Gajeel threw his head to the heavens as he watched his attack catch up to and completely strip the boy of his flesh. Falling to the ground, the man walked over to the hole and looked in expectantly. What he saw however was a mass of rubble from a destroyed boulder. Spinning around just in time to catch a fist aimed at his face, Gajeel smirked at the blond. "Got a few tricks up your sleeve, eh? Try this then!"

Clamping his powerful grip down on Naruto's fist, he reared back and readied a punch. "**Iron Dragon's Club!**"

His arm turned into a pillar again and Gajeel lashed out, sinking the arm deep into Naruto's belly. Not happy with that though, he extended the attack, extending his arm out as he pushed Naruto away from him, slamming him deep into the far side of the mountain. Retracting his arm, the pillar returned to normal and Gajeel flexed his fingers happily. "Well, looks like you can be hit after all. Got anything to show after that?"

He wasn't disappointed when the blond dragged himself from the hole and looked back at him defiantly. Sneering, Gajeel lowered his body into an offensive stance. "Good. I didn't want this to end too soon."

Suddenly though, Naruto looked over towards Phantom Lord. Realising that his opponent must have had exceptional hearing as well, Gajeel looked over and saw the entire guild of Fairy Tail retreating from their assult. Letting out a bark of mocking laughter, Gajeel pointed at the fleeing mages. "HA! You see that? That is your guild being completely decimated by _our_ guild! Awesome, isn't it?"

Frowning as he watched the mages run from a distance, Naruto only half paid attention to the annoying man behind him. Something bad must have happened, so it would be best to finish up here quickly. Turning to level a glare at Gajeel, Naruto flexed his fingers. "Looks like I'll have to end this then."

Generating a clone, Naruto held his hand out as the chakra construct began swiping its hands over it. A bright blue ball quickly came to life in his palm and once it was completed, the clone disappeared. Holding the attack out, Naruto stared at Gajeel. "Here's a little something for you to remember me by. My name is Naruto, and if you ever so much as touch one of my friends again, I will come for you, I will find you and then I will break you."

He then suddenly flashed forward so fast that Gajeel didn't even have time to mock him. "**Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)!"**

The blue ball suck deep into the man's stomach and he let out an agonised yell as he was fired backwards into a large boulder. Crunching deep into it, Gajeel's eyes flickered in pain before he passed out. Looking at the man in distaste, Naruto turned his back on him. "Be thankful that attack wasn't full power. Learn from this and don't come near us again."

Running along the cliff face, Naruto then jumped out and fell down towards the members of Fairy Tail.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – sorry if this isn't the best, but I wanted to get this up before I started work. I wouldn't get much of a chance to update after this, so please enjoy the somewhat rushed ending._

_Lanky Nathan_

_P.S. fixed up the initial FT storms in on PL scene. Hells Mercenary pointed out where I went a little wrong so props to him! Vandenbz beta'd this chapter yet again and Wryd Darcnyzz helped me out with the grammatical errors._


	14. Chapter 14

Landing heavily, Naruto looked up to see the entire Phantom Lord guild chasing all of Fairy Tail from their guild, their mocking cries raining down heavily upon the fleeing mages. Attacks were still being fired at the retreating guild too, a further insult to injury.

Pushing chakra into his legs, Naruto charged forward and rapidly caught up to the guilds. As he passed Phantom Lord, he had to avoid several attacks from their mages as they noticed him. Near the front of the guild though, one man broke away and caught up to him, clearly a speed based mage. Ducking under the man's surprisingly fast punch, Naruto turned to glare back up at him.

"Ha! You thought you could get aw-"

Not sparing him a second thought, Naruto jumped sideways into a back heel strike, the blow cutting short his monologue and blasting the mage back into the mass of people he just ran from. Ignoring the outraged cries, Naruto continued running until he spotted Elfman just ahead of him. Quickly catching up to the hunched man, Naruto looked up. "Oi, what's going on – the hell happened to him?"

A flash of green in the giant's arms had caught his eye and when he focused, he realised it was actually Makarov. For some reason, the little man's skin was a bright, lime green and looking extremely sickly. He was continually muttering something about his magical power being gone too. Looking over the injured man, Naruto frowned in concern as he realised this was the reason for the retreat.

"We don't know what happened... Erza just gave us the command to escape so we did."

Hearing the deep voice above him, Naruto looked up and saw a storm of emotions running through Elfman's expressive eyes. Not really having anything to say, all Naruto could do was nod. "Well... I'll go talk with her. Be back in a bit."

Hearing a worried hum, Naruto took that as his leave and charged up to the front of the group. They had covered a lot of ground and were now at the edge of the town, rough rocks and jagged cliff faces becoming the scenery. Seeing the tell-tale shock of red swishing around at the front, Naruto ran up beside Erza and looked over worriedly. "So, what do you think..."

Naruto's question died on his tongue as he realised tears were falling from the distressed mages eyes. She hadn't looked over or even acknowledged him, looking like the world itself had all but fallen apart. Naruto guessed it was taking all her will not to just collapse there and then, if the rate her tears were falling was any indication. Hearing a boom behind them, Naruto looked over his shoulder and realised the group was still being perused by over half the Phantom Lord guild. Checking back with Erza, Naruto tried again. "Did you want me to stall Phantom Lord so you can get away a bit easier?"

Finally looking over, Erza did her best to look composed. "How would you go about that?"

Sending her a reassuring smile, Naruto let himself drop back. "Don't worry about that, I got it covered. You just get out of here with the rest of the guild. I'll be right behind you."

Seeing her nod acceptingly, Naruto slowed to a jog as the mages overtook him. Turning to face the Phantom Lord Mages, Naruto's eyes hardened and he held his hands out. "Go back to your guild now! I won't ask again!"

Hearing his shout over the thumping of feet and victory cries, the forerunners just scoffed and laughed as they picked up speed. "Us, back down? You're a complete retard if you think we'll just _let_ you lot go!"

Frowning as the entire charge picked up pace, Naruto crossed his fingers as he slowed to a stop. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique).**"

A sudden explosion of thick white smoke disoriented the pursuing guild and their cries of confusion and anger filled the air. There was a sudden staccato of cracks as fists met flesh and as the smoke rapidly dissipated, eyes widened as they saw what looked like over forty of those blond, orange jacket wearing freaks unleashing hell upon the first few lines of their charge. Several dozen of their members were incapacitated instantly, all of them laid out suffering from severe concussions as well as some sporting rapidly forming bruises. Skidding to a stop, they all looked out over the mass of orange and looked into the cold eyes of the boy down the very back.

"I told you to go back. Don't make me make you."

Hearing his calm voice ring true over the departing thumps of the footsteps of the Fairy Tail guild, the mages of Phantom Lord quickly calculated their options. Realising they had all but won by driving out a rival guild from their own, they snorted and spat several curses and insults at the blond but still backed down.

"Bah, you bunch of piss weak maggots better not come back here again or we won't let you escape with your lives next time! Now get out of here before we change our minds!"

Hearing a rise of agreement, Naruto frowned but all the same dropped his technique. Taking several steps backward, he sized up the possibility of a chase. Seeing most of the mages come forward to check out the downed men and women from the first row, Naruto took one last look at the aggressive guild before turning and chasing after his friends.

XxXxXxX

Naruto found himself at the back of the room again, looking over the frustrated guild members. Various mages were getting bandaged up after taking the brunt of some damaging attacks, their discouraged voices audible over the groans of pain from the others. Macao and Wakaba, along with a couple other mages Naruto hadn't been introduced to yet were hunched over a map laid out on a table. From the bits and pieces Naruto could make out, it sounded like they were trying to plan a counterattack.

Most however were just spotted about here and there, despondent looks on their faces after the recent flood of horrible events. Levy and her team were still in hospital after that brutal attack, the guild was all but peppered with holes and old man Makarov was in intensive care somewhere with an old medical friend of his. The most surprising and disturbing piece of information however came from Natsu when he walked in a few hours later than the rest of the guild, carrying an immensely distressed Lucy on his back.

It turned out that the reason for the attack on the guild wasn't because Phantom Lord were just being a pack of unlikeable pricks, but because Lucy's own father had put out a mission request to retrieve her any way they could. The initial attack had been a plan to lower their defenses and swoop in and snatch up the girl while they weren't looking. Natsu had clued into the fact after overhearing the Master's seemingly delusional ramblings and had kidnapped a Phantom Lord mage before charging off to the headquarters to rescue her. The pink haired mage was now standing protectively by her side, not saying much or even comforting the girl, but simply standing watch for her.

When that little tidbit of information had come up, and especially after hearing the platinum blond girl exclaim she'd rather be considered an orphan than have that man as a father, Naruto had to rapidly disappear to prevent his fury from getting picked up by the rest of guild. He had run for a long while before finally exploding and destroying large amounts of nature around him in an effort to vent his anger. How a man could possibly do that to his own daughter was far and away beyond anything Naruto could comprehend. A beautiful daughter like that at his fingertips, and yet he saw her as nothing but a servant? It brought to the surface a lot of negative emotions Naruto hadn't felt for a long time. It took a while, but eventually Naruto was calm enough to return. He made sure to cover up the various holes in the earth and rocks first, so no one would come asking questions.

Scratching his head, Naruto sighed and looked over at Mirajane, still frantically trying to keep everyone's hopes alive. Rubbing his face, Naruto rolled his eyes. When it rained, it sure as hell poured here.

Hearing a louder than normal muttering of voices, Naruto turned to see Erza snap at someone before walking away briskly, a slight fault in her steps. Frowning slightly at her departure, Naruto looked around to see no one really make any attempt to follow her. Sliding inconspicuously along the wall, Naruto followed her to the showers and ducked in. Hearing the rustling of clothes from the furthest stall, Naruto walked over and sat down outside the door.

"Hey... you ok in there?"

The rustling abruptly stopped and silence arose for a few moments. "What are you doing here? You better not be trying to catch a peek."

Chuckling, Naruto shook his head despite the woman being unable to see. "No, I don't have a death wish like that. I just saw you walking in here looking a little... unsure, so I followed you."

The rustling resumed, though at a slower pace. "Well, I thank you for your concern, but you really didn't need to follow me in here of all places."

Naruto shrugged helplessly. "I can't help it, sorry. I get... thingy* when I see my friends distressed."

The rustling finished and a tap squeaked before a rush of water sounded out. "Well that is very kind of you, but isn't there anyone else to worry about at the moment?"

Grinning, Naruto leant his head back against the wall, the heat from the water beginning to raise the humidity in the air. "No, most everyone seems to have someone to talk to. No one seemed to come and see if you were ok though, outside of a comment here and there. It almost seems like they see you as completely infallible. So yeah, I just wanted to come make sure you were alright."

Erza didn't respond for a while, the only sound being the changing rush of water as Erza moved beneath it. Eventually though, she replied quietly to his statement. "We have many injured members and our strongest mages aren't here. I honestly don't know if we'll be able to continue this war."

Hearing a strong thump, Naruto looked over at the shaking door. It seemed Erza had punched the wall. Apparently the girl was taking it harder than she let on. "If I had just gone with the Master back then... if only I hadn't let him go alone, we could have avoided all this! So pathetic! It's all my fault!"

Letting her calm herself, Naruto leant back in thought. "Well... I don't see how you could have done much else. From what I've gathered, that old man is one of the ten strongest mages in the whole world. And then Phantom Lord's master is like, equal to him in strength? Not to knock your skill, but I doubt there was much you could have done."

He heard Erza growl before speaking. "That's beside the point. I could have watched his back, or offered support, or, or attacked Jose first or..."

"Hey, hey, hey, take a moment will you? Just calm down." Naruto held his hands out awkwardly as he tried to calm the hyperventilating woman from behind a door. He wasn't too used to dealing with something like this. "Look, whatever is wrong with him isn't life threatening is it? I mean, he's with... what's-her-face, that awesome medic you were telling me about."

Hearing Erza calm, Naruto silently congratulated himself on a job well done. "Porlyusica. She was on the Master's original team. And yes, if there's anyone in this world that could heal him, it's her."

Smiling, Naruto pushed the positive point. "See? And if he's just had his magic drained, then it should come back with time. You were the one who told me that so just remember it!"

Hearing Erza take a shuddering breath, Naruto nodded happily. "I suppose you're right. What I need to focus on now is how to prepare for the upcoming battle when Phantom comes back for Lucy."

Giving the door a sidelong glance, Naruto sighed. "No, what you need to focus on now is being a girl having a shower. Do whatever it is in there that makes girls come out smelling so nice. Get refreshed and relax. It's not healthy to focus obsessively on a task like this all the time. Clear your head, have a break and then once you're done, come out and plan your plan. Sound good?"

Naruto could have sworn Erza was about to say something, but silence followed his question. Hearing her shuffle around, Naruto smiled as he heard her answer. "You're quite insightful behind that dense exterior, aren't you?"

Naruto shrugged and raised his arms behind his head. His eyes now tracked the multiple floating water droplets before his face, dancing and weaving with every breath he took. "Nah, I just got smart friends and teachers. I pick up things from them when something they say strikes a chord with me."

Hearing Erza chuckle, Naruto looked over. "What's so funny?"

The woman shifted under the water and the temperature jumped as she turned up the hot water. "I just noticed you didn't deny being dense."

A lopsided grin broke out on his face as he thought of that. "Eh, I'll admit I ain't the sharpest kunai in the shed, but I get by alright."

They both chuckled at that, but the little conversation was cut short when a boom accompanied by an earthquake suddenly rocked the building. Steadying himself, Naruto looked up at the roof as he called out to Erza. "You ok?"

She groaned in response. "I shall be fine, I just slipped when the ground shook."

Another earth shaking boom suddenly rocked the room again and Naruto instantly had his arm grabbed by Erza as she dashed past. "Come on, it's not safe down here!"

The fact she was clad only in a wet towel didn't escape his attention, the fabric desperately clinging to her shape as she rushed to the door. As the two of them ran into the room, they saw the last of the mages running up the stairs and out the back door. Dashing after them, Naruto and Erza were briefly blinded by the sunlight. Once that faded though, Naruto's eyes widened until they filled half his face, disbelief filling his eyes. "What the _hell_ is that?"

The entire guild and a good portion of the civilians that had gathered were all looking up at a giant mechanical beast that towered above the town. Six enormous, gold coloured metal legs sank deep into the water as it waded forward, the earth shuddering with every step they took. They were connected to a massive slab of rock, the rugged, half-moon shape of it making it look like it had been physically ripped from the very ground it had rested in. On the flat top of that rock sat a massive white, hexagonally shaped building. Windows covered its faces, four massive, intricately designed, thin pillars with even more windows in them, protruding upwards from each corner of the slab of rock they were sitting on.

Watching on in awe as the gigantic thing walked forwards, Naruto overheard several mages muttering amongst themselves.

"Is that Phantom Lord?"

"The freakin' guild is walking!"

"What kind of magic is this? I've never heard of such a thing!"

Due to the shock of seeing such a creation, it took Naruto a moment to realise he was losing feeling in his left hand. Looking down, he realised Erza was gripping it tightly so tightly that it was cutting off the circulation; the red haired woman literally shivering in horror at the advancing leviathan. "I... I had no idea that they would attack us like this..."

Finally though, the contraption stopped moving and came to rest. Looking up at it cautiously, Natsu frowned slightly as he took a step forward. "So... has it stopped for real?"

His answer came in the form of a loud rumble before a section of the Phantom Lord Guild face actually slid away, revealing a deep hole into the mansion. Another rumble followed and then from within the hole, the nozzle of a massive cannon began sliding forward. That section locked into place, then another attachment within the barrel of the first started sliding forward, further lengthening the massive cylinder. This continued another two or three more times before everything finally came to rest.

Looking around nervously, Naruto wondered just what was going to happen to the town as that cannon most probably had enough fire power to not only blow away the guild it was pointed at, but half the town around it too.

Suddenly, an ominous dark ball began to form at the nose of the thing, the colours of the guild behind it becoming inverted and distorted as it rapidly gathered power. A dangerous hum filled the air, along with a strange sense of pressure from the sheer power of the ball being generated. Throwing Naruto back, Erza looked around at the group, horror filling her eyes. "This is very bad! Everybody, GET DOWN!"

Looking up at the petrified woman, Naruto then turned his gaze over to the ball and swallowed a gasp of surprise. It had easily quadrupled in size, the diameter of the thing looking like it was well over fifty meters and still growing. Hearing a cry, Naruto looked over to see Erza ditch her towel and charge forward, completely ignoring the fact she was now completely naked. It only lasted a moment however before she started glowing a bright gold as her magic took hold.

When the light dissipated, the woman now stood at the water's edge, completely covered in thick, shining chrome armour. Her shins and thighs were completely hidden behind a wall of metal, her knees having a large, protruding black cover sticking out for mobility. Her waist was covered in a heavy pleated skirt, the edged rimmed with sharp looking spikes that resembled a kunai. Her stomach, back, breasts and shoulders were all covered by black and white armour, the bulk of it increasing in size upwards towards her face until she had a chest and shoulders that easily dwarfed even Elfman in size. Her arms were completely covered in bright gauntlets, but the most interesting parts of the whole suit were these two massive, thick blades of some sort that were attached to her forearms. All in all, the suit looked like it easily weighed over half a ton but the lithe mage carried it with ease.

Hearing Macao call out desperately, Naruto turned to look at him. "Erza! Don't tell me you're gonna try and stop that thing? Even with the Adamantine Armour, you'll still get yourself killed!"

"I SAID GET DOWN!"

Instantly most of the mages dropped to the floor. Natsu tried to make a dash for the girl, crying out her name desperately in hopes of saving her. Gray however managed to catch him before he could get too far and pulled him to the ground. "IDIOT! Don't let her sacrifice go in vain! Besides, she still has a really high chance of surviving that thing with all that armour on. _You _however only have a couple of clothes covering your back. Now shut up, hold on tight and believe in her!"

Turning his stunned gaze back to Erza, Naruto's eyes widened again as he saw ready her armour. Slamming her arms together, the blades interlocked revealing that each blade was half of a massive shield. Drawing on her power, Erza screamed and a giant, chrome magic circle exploded out from the shield just as an enormous boom sounded out when the cannon fired.

'There's no way she'll survive this!'

Reacting quickly, Naruto bit deeply into his thumb and swiped it across the ground. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!**"

A white cloud exploded out, but what appeared instead of Gamabunta was a little baby toad, only just big enough to survive outside of a pond.

"NO!"

Naruto's scream was cut short as the immensely powerful beam smashed into Erza's shield, the woman groaning with the stress of holding back such a mammoth sized attack.

This time, Naruto reacted on instinct. Kicking off the ground with a massive boom, he left a clone behind in the crater he formed and let an amount of the Kyuubi's tainted chakra flood his system. Crouching down on all fours as he hit the water, Naruto felt his features warp as his teeth sharpened, nails lengthened and eyes narrowed. Exploding across the water's surface in a blistering display of speed, Naruto reached the mechanical guild in less time than it took to blink. Jumping high at the base of the rock, Naruto suddenly felt a flood of natural energy fill his system as his clone dispersed. Having used the short burst of demon chakra for speed, Naruto let the vile substance slide back inside the seal. Feeling his features restore and the tell-tale signs of Sage Mode appear, Naruto reared back a mighty hand, screamed out and _punched._

XxXxXxX

"Wha... what the HELL JUST HAPPENED?"

The entire populace present dropped their mouths in astonishment as a line of water shot into the air from something headed straight for the attacking mechanical monster. Water then exploded out as something jumped, and then the whole of Phantom Lord physically lifted from the ground. They were hit with a shockwave only a moment later, the unbridled power behind whatever it was that hit the underside of the guild blowing most everyone over. A faint, effort filled cry reached their ears after that as massive chunks of rock from beneath the building began falling away into the water below. There was a brief hint of something oppressive in the air too, but it was too faint to properly identify. The cannon blast however was knocked clear into the sky, the force behind the attack sending the energy wave shooting away into the clouds. It disappeared for a moment before the town was lit up in an unearthly blue light as it exploded.

Despite the redirection of the cannon, Erza didn't come away unscathed. Having thrown all her strength behind her defensive wall, the second the attack shifted, so did her weight and it overbalanced her. The weight to the top of the deflection magic increased for a split second, and that was enough to send her flying backward. She hit the ground hard and rolled away, completely out of control. Finally sliding to a stop, her damaged armour evaporated into the air, her magic defaulting her clothes back to a simple white blouse with a frilly front that concealed the buttons and a simple, navy blue skirt.

A deep boom sounded out a moment later as the Phantom Lord guild landed heavily, its massive six legs struggling to hold its entire weight up. A large wave began rushing towards Fairy Tail as the massive amount of water was displaced. Several mages ran forward, all holding up their arms and crying out a defensive spell. The combined effort was enough to protect the majority of the area from the rush of water, but a fraction of the water managed to make it around and flood the outer reaches of Magnolia Town.

Natsu and Gray had run forward before this, completely ignoring the wave and knelt by Erza's side. Natsu looked especially concerned since he hadn't seen anything due to Gray pushing his face into the ground. "Erza! Are you alright? Tell us you're ok!"

The woman beneath him groaned painfully and looked up at him through one eye. "Y-yeah, I'm fine."

Attempting to push herself up, she flinched and dropped back down, clutching her arm. The violent roll she had been subjected to had done some damage. This time, Gray reached out and stilled her movements. "Stop moving, you're too hurt to get up right now. Just relax and we'll carry you back."

Whether she replied or not was lost on those two as a massively amplified voice rang out across the town. It had a nasal quality and was in a higher male pitch, but occasionally dropped to a baritone at the end of the sentence. "Well now, that was unexpected. Not only did Erza manage to hold off Jupiter, but someone also actually managed to redirect the attack! Impressive, quite impressive, I honestly did not expect such a powerful defence. Despite this though, you unfortunately have lost your two best warriors. Makarov is down and now, Erza 'Titania' Scarlet is too. You should be able to see your position here now. Hand over Lucy Heartfilia and we will leave you be."

The voice then fell silent, expecting a positive response. That wasn't what he got though.

"What kind of people do you think we are? There is NO way we'd just abandon our comrade to some freak guild like yours! Get the hell out of here!"

Natsu's voice rang clear across the water in defiance, his fist raised and encased in flames. A burning anger filled his eyes and a dark shadow seemed to grow over his face. His fury rallied the troops and within seconds, deafening and rather aggressive denials filled the air as the whole of Fairy Tail told Phantom Lord exactly where they could stick their demand.

Unknown to the guild though, Lucy was currently torn up over everything. Tears threatened to break free of her eyelashes while her shoulders shook as she struggled not to cry. She loved the guild so very much and they were all supporting her through this, but it was _her _fault everything had happened. Her fault Levy, Droy and Jet were hospitalised. Her fault the guild was destroyed. Her fault the Master was currently in a coma. It was all her fault...

"We'd rather DIE than hand over one of our own to the likes of you!"

Erza's defiant cry finally unlocked Lucy's tears and the liquid began running down her cheeks as the mages lifted their voices as one, screaming out in agreement with their current leader. Smashing his foot into the ground, Natsu leaned forward as flames began licking his body, passionate loyalty further fuelling his fury. "Our answer will never change! We will destroy you!"

As the noise continued to increase, the amplified voice from before echoed out, rage filling his words. "Fine! If that's how you want to play your cards, then we shall simply fire an even more powerful Jupiter at you! Enjoy the last fifteen minutes of your lives before we obliterate you all!"

Finishing up with a click, the guild fell silent as the last few echoing words died. Turning to look at each other, they began muttering amongst themselves.

"Jupiter again?"

"Fifteen minutes... that's really not very long to work out how to counter it."

"Erza can't even counter it again, not after that first shot."

"Maybe whatever it was that knocked the guild over from before might help again?"

"Wait, what's that?"

A mage pointed to the sky, her delicate finger trained on some strange, ghost-like apparitions that seemed to be flying out of the windows on the house and aiming right for them. Worried whispers began flowing through the crowd as they watched the things draw near. Hearing the nasally voice speak again, the guild looked up. "It seems you are left with one of two options, mages of Fairy Tail. Either you die via my soldiers, or you die via Jupiter. Your choice."

"Bah!" Turning to look back, a few mages saw Macao standing with his hands on his hips. "He's got to be bluffing. There's no way they'd shoot their own men."

"Yes they would."

"Huh?"

Turning to look at the voice, they saw Cana staring up at the approaching army. "That's Jose's magic, Shade. Those things aren't human, they're a part of his magic ability."

Growling, Natsu stepped back beside Cana, eyes tracking the ghosts. "So the only way to stop this is by destroying Jupiter?"

The tall girl nodded. "Fighting these things is just a waste of time. There'll always be more to back them up."

Grinning, Natsu smashed his fists together and looked up at the cannon. "Fifteen minutes to destroy that then? Consider it done."

Running forward, Natsu jumped off the edge of the dock. "HAPPY!"

"AYE, SIR!"

Swooping in, the helpful little cat caught his longtime friend and sent them rocketing into the sky.

"Elfman, we'll go help!" Running forward, Gray jumped onto the water, his magic instantly freezing it and giving him a straight path to the guild.

"Of course, it wouldn't be right for a man not to!" Jumping onto the ice, the massive mage closely followed his companion.

XxXxXxX

Repetitive clangs and bursts of fire shot into the air as Natsu pounded the solid iron nozzle of the cannon. Despite all his efforts over the last five minutes though, nothing had actually worked.

"Damnit, not even a dent! What is this stuff made of?"

Continuing his onslaught, Happy frowned in thought. "Maybe we'd be better off attacking it from the inside? It might be softer in there."

A light seemed to flicker in Natsu's eyes and he looked down at his little friend in awe. "That's so smart! Let's try your idea."

"Aye!"

Swinging down, the boy and his cat landed inside the massive barrel, the diameter of the hole easily over twenty feet. Looking down the dark passage, Natsu squinted. "See anything?"

The cat shook his little head. "Nope. Can you?"

Shaking his head, Natsu started running. "Nup. Let's hurry but, we don't have much time."

Both charged down the tunnel, a light at the end of it growing with every step they took. Quickly reaching it, they skidded to a stop and looked around in awe. The hole led into a gigantic, cylindrical stone room. The floor and walls weren't all that interesting, but above them sat a massive clock face that easily filled the entire roof. In the middle of the room sat an enormous, clear crystal ball, four smaller balls stationed away from it at equidistant lengths; each with gears and interlocking cogs positioned underneath them. The smaller balls were tinted as well, one being blue, the next red, the one after a pale cream and the last a light brown.

Hearing a loud clunk above them, Natsu and Happy looked up to see the minute hand on the clock shift over one and a loud, automated lady's voice call out, "Seven minutes till Jupiter fires."

Pointing at the orb, Happy frowned. "That thing looks like a Lacrima that gathers power. It must be a magical convergent cannon. These things emit compressed magic instead of bullets. I've never seen one this big before though..."

Looking down at the surprising amount of knowledge the little cat had, Natsu raised an eyebrow. "So... all we have to do is break this thing then?"

Happy nodded and with that, Natsu jumped down to the floor. What he wasn't expecting though was to see Naruto standing there looking around agitatedly, a broken man at his feet. Eyebrows raised, Natsu called out to him. "Oi! When did you get in here?"

Hearing the voice, the blond turned. "Oh, Natsu! I got in here a bit before you I guess. I wanted to stop this thing but I dunno how."

Pointing up, Natsu grinned. "All we gotta do is destroy that ball, or so Happy says."

Lowering his hand, the boy then looked at the man at Naruto's feet. "So, who's that?"

The man twitched as another spasm shocked his muscles. He had a strange dual toned hair style, one half black, the other half white, pulled back into a top knot. His face had three horizontal dashes across his face, the middle being the longest of the three, stretching from the edge of one cheek, across his nose and all the way to the edge of the other cheek. He had a reddish overcoat on that hid beneath it a black undershirt, fishnets extending down to his wrists from under the elbow length sleeves.

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, he called himself Totomaru. I asked him how to stop this, he said he would never say, he attacked, I beat him, and now he's too unconscious to tell me what you just did."

Nodding acceptingly, Natsu grinned. "He mustn't have been much of an opponent then."

Another resounding clunk filled the room and the mechanical voice called out again. "Six minutes till Jupiter fires."

Looking up as the ball in the middle of the room began to glow gently, Naruto turned his gaze back to Natsu. "You want me to take care of this?"

Cracking his knuckles, Natsu shook his head. "Nah, I got it."

Crouching down, the boy held his arms out as fire exploded to life around them. Jumping straight up, he reared back a fist. "**Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!**"

Twin jets of super-heated flames shot out, crossing over each other and aimed directly at the ball. Smashing into it, the crystal groaned for a moment before giving way under the pressure. Fragments shot into the air and both teens had to cover their heads as chunks of the Lacrima fell down around them. Raising their heads once it stopped, both boys shared a grin and high fived each other. "Well that takes care of that. What happens now?"

Looking up at the roof as Naruto began toeing his downed opponent, Natsu frowned. "We need to find Jose now. He's the guy who started all this, so let's take the fight back to him."

Hearing a thump behind them, both boys looked over to see Elfman and Gray land behind them. They looked around the room before resting their eyes on the pair. "So I take that you two managed to stop it? Huh, it looks like I didn't have to come babysit."

Growling, Natsu ran up to the ice mage. "I didn't ask you to come! If anything you would have gotten in the way and just made things difficult. Turn around and go back down to the rest of the guild. I got this sorted."

Ignoring them, Elfman looked at Naruto. "So everything seems ok now?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. It wasn't too hard. This guy put up a bit of a fight but he went down easily enough."

Looking at the mage, Elfman's eyes widened. "Naruto, you said he wasn't that strong. Do you know who he is?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nup, do you?"

Nodding slowly, the man looked up. "That is one of the Elemental Four, Totomaru. He is one of the five strongest in all of Phantom Lord and you said he went down easily?"

Pursing his lips, Naruto looked down at the twitching mage. He hadn't expected him to be such a high profile opponent after that performance. "Uh, maybe he was just having an off day?"

Chuckling to himself, Elfman raised an eyebrow. "You're a lot stronger than you let on, aren't you Naruto?"

Grinning apologetically, Naruto scratched his cheek. "Well, everyone's gotta have their secrets, ya know?"

He then found himself squashed against Elfman's chest as the man wrapped a massive arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a manly hug. "Indeed. That is exactly what I would expect of a full-fledged man."

Having had his personal bubble well and truly popped, Naruto pulled his head free and stepped back. "Uh... yeah, alright."

Suddenly the earth beneath them began to shake violently, gears within the walls screaming as something began to happen. Anchoring himself to the floor via chakra, Naruto looked around in suspicion while the other men slid around as the room shook. "What's happening now?"

Feeling the gravity increase, Naruto looked down. That could only mean one thing; that the room they were in was lifting up into the air. Glancing over at the still skidding around mages, Naruto called out to them. "I'm gonna go outside and check what's going on. Be right back!"

Not waiting for a reply, the blond dashed up the wall and out of the cannon barrel. Reaching the end, he climbed out and looked around in surprise. The entire structure was transforming, bits and pieces of the massive mansion sliding across each other as a humanoid creature took shape. The rock that the guild originally sat on had completely crumbled away, the six legs now integrated into the body of the thing.

Now finding himself standing on a wall, Naruto looked up as a head slid into place and a pair of red lights flickered to life within the eye sockets of the thing. Looking around at the new guild form, Naruto noticed two massive arms reach out slowly and start tracing a line in the air. Light seemed to appear from the fingertips as they began to draw some strange floating lines. Frowning, Naruto took one last look at them before running back down to tell the others what he had seen.

By the time he'd gotten back though, Happy was standing in front of the trio, explaining what he had overheard from the mages when he had flown back to tell them of Jupiter's destruction. "... Abyss Break! If it fires within ten minutes, all of Magnolia will be wiped out!"

Hearing the men gasp, Naruto jogged up. "So what did I miss?"

Gray looked over, his normally lazy expression now much more serious. "This thing is readying a massive attack that will obliterate the entire town if we don't stop it. We gotta split up and try find the power source of this thing."

The group hummed in agreement before Natsu raised a confident fist. "Alright! Ten minutes is plenty enough."

Not waiting for any more encouragement, the excitable mage ran from the group, calling out for Happy to follow him. Gray took off next, heading in a different direction leaving only Naruto and Elfman to watch them disappear. Looking down at the smaller man, Elfman narrowed an eye. "Naruto. How strong do you believe yourself to be?"

Looking up at the unexpected question, the blond shrugged. "Pretty strong I guess. I can handle myself."

Raising an eyebrow, Elfman pushed. "Who do you think you are as strong as though? Myself? Natsu? Erza?"

Wondering where he was headed with this, Naruto turned to face him fully. "I'd say about Erza. Why?"

Elfman turned his gaze to the ceiling. "Jose is incredibly powerful. I doubt any of us here could hold him off for any length of time, except you. I want you to find him and if you can, stop him. At least try and delay him long enough so we can find the power source of this wretched thing and stop it from wiping out our home."

Naruto looked up at him. He clearly had a lot riding on this. Sighing, Naruto shrugged. "No promises. I'll see what I can do."

Smiling down at him, the man nodded and then took off. Watching him leave, Naruto took a deep breath and scratched his head. How he kept getting distracted from getting home so often was beyond him. It was like he wasn't meant to or something. Still, there was no way the ninja would leave his friends to face this situation alone. Spying the nearest staircase, the blond ran off towards it.

XxXxXxX

Growling to himself, Naruto looked around. The giant's internals was a veritable labyrinth of staircases and hallways. He had already tried a number of different passages with his clones but had repeatedly come to a dead end involving a room with nothing of any interest in it. Looking at the next staircase to be tried, Naruto ran up it and to his relief found that it seemed to continue going up. Skidding around a corner, Naruto heard a blast from just up ahead.

Hearing a cry of pain and anger, Naruto ran over and looked down a hallway. Spotting Natsu with a giant standing over him, Naruto dashed in and roundhouse kicked the guy in the face with enough force to embed him deep into the far wall. Turning, he looked at the boy as he knelt down trying to catch his breath. "You alright? What was that guy trying to do to you?"

Shaking his head as he breathed, Happy spoke up for him. "That's Aria, the wind mage of the Elemental Four. He's the strongest of them all, and Natsu had been getting completely flattened before you turned up."

Coughing in protest, the pink haired boy turned to glare at his companion. "I was not! I was just getting warmed up, that's all!"

Hearing a rumble, the three looked over as the behemoth pulled himself from the hole in the wall. He didn't seem too troubled by the fact that he had just flown face first into a wall either. Sizing him up, Naruto crouched as he readied himself for an attack.

The enormous human easily towered over even the likes of Elfman, his girth also being just as impressive. He had a deep green top hat on with a matching long green cape that flowed all the way to the ground, its high popped collar hiding his face from side views. Under that he had an off yellow shirt tucked into a pair of baggy blue pants which lead down to a simple pair of shoes. A strange red skull-like pendant hung around his neck, the string holding it up spotted with red crosses. The most curious thing about the man though was that he had a number of bandages wrapped around his eyes. Holding his hands out in front of him, Naruto frowned as a tear began to slip down his cheek from under the bandages.

"So sad... that a loyal friend of this mage would run in here to only meet his death... it's just so SAD!"

Tears began running down his cheeks faster as the massive man wept, the tears dropping onto his robes and beginning to saturate them. Feeling a bit unsure about this new problem, Naruto looked over at Natsu and Happy. "Is this normal?"

Natsu shrugged. "I think so. He cried the whole time I was fighting him."

Turning back to the man, Naruto raised his voice. "Oi, Aria or whatever your name is. I don't suppose you'll tell us where the power source for this thing is would you?"

The tears slowed a bit as the man looked down at them. "Oh, I suppose I could, but unfortunately you won't be able to do anything about it. The giant is run from the magical powers of us, the four people of the Elements. If you were to beat us, I suppose you could save your guild, but against my Airspace magic, you have not a chance in the world! Oh how cruel this world is! How sad!"

As Aria broke down again, Naruto looked over at Natsu. "You catch your breath for a moment. I'll play with him."

Struggling to stand, Natsu wiped his mouth. "Don't get in my way. I was just about to finish things up."

Raising a disbelieving eyebrow, Naruto gave the boy a gentle push which sent him down flat on his back. "That's what I thought. Regain some energy and try again if I haven't beaten him by then."

Growling at his own weakness, Natsu looked away indignantly. "Fine. Like I care what you do."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto looked up to Aria as he walked forward slowly, muttering something about the sadness of his defeat. Growling, Naruto gazed upon his opponent. No one was going to proclaim their victory over him until they had him face down on the ground. Crouching, Naruto decided to test the waters with this guy.

Dashing in, Naruto reared back a fist and brought it forward into the giant's gut. What he didn't expect was for the man to shimmer and vanish right before the punch connected. The inertia of the punch carried him through and Naruto was forced to flip and land on his feet. Hearing movement behind him, Naruto rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a hammer fist that crushed the ground where he had been. Pushing off an arm, Naruto landed back several meters and looked at the crying man. "So sad... that you struggle for life while it is only going to desert you!"

Growling at the never ending negative cries, Naruto stood up. "What is wrong with you?"

Despite being blind folded, Aria looked straight at him, an eerie grin on his face, the smile contrasting against the tears that continued to fall from his cheeks. "Everything. That I must have this power to destroy you is sad. That I will destroy you is sad. That no matter what you do, you will still fall, that is sad! How can you not see it?"

Extending a palm outwards towards Naruto, Aria tensed. "**Eradicate!**"

Feeling more than seeing the attack, Naruto dived backwards as the very air before him exploded. Feeling another prickling to his left, he dived right. Thanking his training, Naruto continued to evade as the blasts became closer and closer together, the air seemingly guiding him to a certain point. He couldn't think too much about it though as the air continued to detonate, the powerful blasts singeing his hair and clothes. Finally, Naruto felt the air on all sides begin to spike. 'Crap.'

A brilliant explosion went up around the blond and Aria laughed uproariously as he witnessed his apparent defeat. "My poor child! That you had to meet your end here! SO SAD!"

His laughter was cut short though as a thunderous punch smashed into the back of his neck. Coughing as his neck muscles spasmed, the giant hit a pillar with enough force to completely destroy it. Standing where Aria once stood was Naruto, his fist clenched and his eye twitching as he looked over at the mass of rubble. "It's too soon to count me out. You'll learn that you need to double, triple and even quadruple check that I'm down or else I'll be coming for you from the shadows."

Heaving himself free of the stone, Aria looked over and smiled despite the blood that began running down his face in generous amounts. "To think that a child would have this much will to live... oh how ripping that will from you will hurt me; how it will hurt you!"

Reaching up a massive hand, Aria gripped the bandages that blindfolded him and pulled them free. "With that kind of resolve, I must show you just how impossible your survival is! That is the only kindness I can give you!"

Opening his eyes, violet pupils flickered into focus before they grew and split into four equal quarters, the whites of his eyes showing through the cross that formed. Frowning as he felt the man's power jump, Naruto took a step forward.

Aria grinned, tears beginning to slip from his eyes again. "That's it my poor child. Come forward, come at me and meet your death. The Airspace that consumes all life, **Activate, Airspace of Death, Zero!**"

Holding his ground as a powerful wind ripped through the room, Naruto stared straight into the unnatural eyes of his opponent.

"Do you think you can survive this, my child?"

Watching on as the ground beneath Aria was ripped to shreds, Naruto clenched his fist and let his adapted wind technique burst to life around his arm. Keeping it a safe distance from his body, Naruto pointed at him. "I am not your child. And yes, I believe I can more than survive this because I have something to protect."

Aria's grin widened grotesquely at Naruto's resolve. "Yes, yes, that's what I wanted to hear! Let us have some fun in your final moments!"

Frowning as the man laughed, Naruto leaned forward and charged. The giant pushed his palm out in joy, the very air around Naruto bristling as the power built up within it. Ducking low to avoid the explosions, Naruto veered out wide and came in to attack from the side. Looking over, Aria grinned. "Such stubbornness... truly a thing of beauty. What a shame it must end now!"

Clapping his hands together, Aria then drew his palms apart and the air started rushing out from around Naruto. Frowning as he felt his veins start to rise to the surface, Naruto pushed on. 'He's sucking the air out from within the area. I gotta act fast.'

Taking a deep breath, Naruto sprinted forward, covering the distance between himself and the mage in a flash. Rearing back a fist, Naruto looked up and saw the mage laughing, but could hardly hear it. Crying out with the last of the air in his lungs, Naruto punched forward, the air from his lungs sucked straight around his hand and smashed into the invisible barrier around him. Feeling it give way under his fist, Naruto pushed through as the wind gushed back into the vacuum. Hearing a disbelieving gasp, Naruto grinned and upped the chakra output to his arm. Pushing through, Naruto drove the spiralling vortex deep into the man's wide stomach.

Crying out as the breath was knocked from him, Naruto opened his hand within the folds of Aria's flesh and grabbed a hold of his skin. Flipping upside down and bringing his knees up, Naruto coiled himself like a spring before exploding out with both feet into Aria's face. Feeling a crunch beneath his heels as the bone gave way, Naruto released his hold on Aria's stomach and back flipped out from the force of the kick, all the while watching as the man was sent smashing into a wall, through that and into the next room.

Landing lightly, Naruto took a calming breath and closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them after a moment, he looked over at the two others in the room and sweat dropped. The boy was kneeling on the ground, his fists held up on either side of his face and his eyes shining spectacularly. Happy was just staring at Naruto in pure shock, not at all expecting that kind of a fight.

Crawling forward a few paces, Natsu looked up at Naruto in awe, his hands shaking. "That was so AWESOME! Naruto, you GOTTA fight me for real when this is over!"

In the background, Happy struggled to regain his voice. "Na – Natsu, you'd get squashed!"

The teen ignored the comment though and just kept prodding Naruto in the hope that he'd accept. Laughing awkwardly, Naruto took a few steps backwards, holding his hands out. "Uh, I suppose, but we really need to focus on the things at hand."

Honestly, the amount this boy was like his younger self was astounding. The moment was ended abruptly though as the nasally voice from before echoed around them.

"Excuse me, mages of Fairy Tail, I have an unexpected development I must inform you of. Would you please listen carefully to this voice?"

Looking up in frustration, Naruto tried to locate the voice.

"That's Jose!"

Looking down at Happy, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So that's Jose? He sounds like he's got something stuck up his nose."

Anything further they were going to say died in their throats as a piercing scream of pain filled the inside of the mechanical man, along with all of Magnolia. Jose then took back the microphone and cleared his throat. "I'm sure you must recognise that scream. It is indeed Lucy Heartfilia. And with her capture, our first objective has been completed. We now have but one more task to complete before going home and that would be to slaughter you disgusting lot!"

Both teens growled dangerously at the proclamation, each giving off a wave of killing intent that would have knocked over a whole weaker guild. "Naruto, I'm gonna go save Lucy."

Turning to look at Natsu, Naruto nodded. "I'll wait here for Gray and Elfman 'cause they're bound to turn up any moment now after that. Give us a moment and we'll catch up."

Grunting, Natsu ran past him, calling out to Happy. Watching him as he left, Naruto then turned and looked at the doorway behind him, fidgeting as he forced himself to wait. 'Hang on just for a minute or two Natsu, we'll be there in a heartbeat.'

Unable to stand still, the blond took to pacing the room after about thirty seconds. While it was only maybe a minute or two later till he heard the sounds of footsteps, to Naruto it felt like an eternity. Walking towards the door, he held a hand up as he saw a white tuft of hair. "Gray, Elfman, in here."

What he didn't expect though was to also see Mirajane accompanying them. His eyes widened as he saw the buxom girl skid to a stop with the other two as she caught her breath. "Mira? What are you doing here?"

Looking up, she waved a hand at him. "Don't worry about that. I was trying to help protect Lucy but it didn't work out. Now what's going on? Where's Natsu?"

Thumbing behind him, Naruto looked up at the staircase behind him. "After we heard Lucy scream, he took off while I waited for you guys. We better go now if we wanna catch him."

Turning, they all managed one step before the light before their eyes seemed to vanish, leaving them all in darkness. Naruto's nose twitched as he fought the urge to spit. 'This energy is disgusting!'

The room then faded back into view as whatever it was cleared. The air however seemed to have a thick black haze through it, the smog like cloud making every part of Naruto's body it touched feel grimy.

Hearing a cough behind him, he turned to look at Gray. "Ugh, what is this foul smoke? I can't breathe properly."

Seeing Elfman shiver, they looked up at the man. "That was unbefitting of a man. I couldn't help it though because this malice in the air is overwhelming."

A slow clapping sounded out behind them and everyone turned to look up to the top of the stairs. "Well done, very well done, all of you Fairy Tail mages."

Seeing the figure, Naruto frowned. A tall, thin man looked down at them condescendingly, his beady black eyes running over them in unveiled contempt. His dark red hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, his angled eyebrows and thin moustache near identical in colour. His lips were pulled back in a sneer, the actual flesh being coated in a black layer of lipstick. He had a blue with yellow trimmed overcoat on, the waist being pulled in by a black belt. Jutting out the bottom of his coat were blue pants, each tucked into the metallic tops of a pair of knee high boots. To top off the strange uniform was a bright red cape draped over his left shoulder. The bit that disturbed Naruto though was that surrounding the mage was a sickly black-purple aura, the very existence of it feeling like death.

"I had never expected you to have put up such an impressive defence. You defeated Jupiter, you defeated the Elemental Four, you even brought my giant to a standstill and managed to save your guild... somewhat."

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto saw his friends faltering under the sickening pressure. He heard Mirajane dry retch as she dropped to her knees, unable to tolerate the man's presence any longer. He seemed to ignore it however and continued his mocking praise. "So I must thank you for the entertainment you have given me. I thoroughly thank you."

"Gray!"

"Right!"

Jumping past Naruto, both male mages attacked the guild master. Slamming his hands together, Gray's fists began frosting over as his magic took hold. "**Ice Make, Saucer!**"

Elfman's own magic took hold, the glowing light encasing his right arm as it began to change. Once the light faded, his entire limb was now completely made of metal, the enormity of it looking rather out of place even on him. "**Beast Arm, Iron Bull!**"

Crying out as they attacked, Mirajane called out from behind them, "No, wait! You can't!"

Looking up at the attacks, Jose's eye twinkled as he watched the respective abilities target him. "Absurd."

Raising a single hand, the oppressive feeling in the air seemed to double as a dark purple ring shot out from his hand. Not a moment later, dozens of purple and black spirit-like things shot out and smashed solidly into both mages. Their clothes had holes blown through them despite nothing physical happening to their bodies. Crying out in pain, the two fell solidly to the ground, each hitting with a dull thump. Not even giving them the chance to even think, Jose then swept his arm across in front of him and the entire floor around the two exploded, sending them flying into the air. Mirajane wasn't spared either, the force of the blast sending her flying back, bouncing several times before colliding with a solid chest. Struggling to breathe after being winded, the waitress looked up through one pained eye and saw Naruto behind her, Gray and Elfman on each shoulder. His piercing blue eyes however were trained on Jose, not a flicker of emotion on his face. "You ok?"

Holding a hand to her chest, she coughed and nodded. Dropping the two groaning men to the ground, Naruto stood up and walked in front of them. "You best run. I don't want to have to cover you while I fight."

Looking up at the blond in worry, the girl held out a hand. "But Naruto..."

He held a hand out as Jose began laughing. "No buts. Get out of here. The only thing you should be worried about is whether or not there's enough left of this guild to identify it. Now get moving."

Feeling Naruto's own power begin to rise, Mirajane frowned in concern but conceded nonetheless. Turning to the mages behind her, she shook them. "Come on, we gotta go. We don't wanna get in the road while Naruto's fighting."

Groaning, the men managed to pull their feet under themselves as Mira lent them a shoulder to lean on. Looking back one more time, she saw Naruto staring at her over his shoulder. "Don't worry about me. I'll be back in no time."

Nodding as Jose laughed louder, Mirajane turned and helped the men out as fast as she could. Watching them leave until he was sure they were at a safe enough distance, Naruto turned his eyes back to the conceited guild master before him.

"Well, well. The hero of Fairy Tail! If your pathetic guild had a future, I'm sure you would have gone down in the books as one of the best."

Naruto didn't move. "I'm not sure where you're getting that idea from, I'm merely friends with them. I haven't joined."

Raising an eyebrow, Jose tilted his head. "Oh really? Hmmm, that's interesting, it's not often they're wrong."

Frowning, Naruto clicked his tongue. "What do you mean by that? Gajeel told me the same thing."

The Master just shrugged. "Oh, nothing important, really. Now, about your death..."

Forgetting that last sentence, Naruto crouched. "You best not underestimate me. It wouldn't do you any good."

Charging forward with a burst of speed, Naruto swung out at Jose's head. The man didn't even uncross his arms, merely waiting until the last possible moment to dodge. Digging his foot into the ground as he landed, Naruto stopped himself and swung around with a backhand, forcing the man to jump back. Pushing the slight advantage, Naruto stepped in with another round of punches; the mage always just slipping out of reach. Finally though, Jose shot his hand out and gripped Naruto's wrist with a grin. Feeling him begin to pull, Naruto instantly channelled chakra to the floor and gripped the Master's hand. His eyes widened in surprise as Naruto managed to reverse the throw and hip chucked Jose clear across the room. Flipping gracefully, the man landed solidly on the far wall before dropping to the floor. "Alright boy, you have caught my interest. It seems you have some skill. Perhaps I shall entertain you a while longer before I destroy everything you love."

Holding a palm out, the man frowned and a magic circle lit up before a thick, black and purple twister shot out at Naruto. Eyes widening as he tracked it, Naruto dashed to the side. Jose simply swept his hand after the ninja, the attack tracking right along after him. Jumping high to avoid it, Jose let out a bark of laughter. "Bad move!"

Flinging his arm upwards, the twister shot straight for Naruto and engulfed him. Before Jose could celebrate though, he had to rapidly raise an arm in defence as a punishing kick shot out at his head from behind. Silently groaning under the immense force behind it, Jose pushed the kick away and jumped back. Frowning at the blond, he pointed a finger at him. "How did you do that? I didn't sense any magical power from you."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not your typical mage. That was a little trick I like to call **Shunshin (Body Flicker)**."

The mage frowned as he heard the unusual word. He tried it out but found he couldn't quite pronounce it properly. "I've never heard of such a thing. You are definitely full of surprises. I'm actually starting to regret not being able to meet you in another life. There is a lot I'd like to know about you."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, well I'm glad I met you here so I could see the kind of scum ball you really are."

Bristling at the insult, Jose began to glow purple. "You'd best watch that tongue of yours, brat, before I rip it from your throat."

Standing up calmly, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I've had stronger men than you tell me something along those lines and yet I'm still here."

Growling, the mage held his arms out and the ground shook as his power crushed the rock beneath his feet. "You're just full of bragging rights, aren't you?"

He then seemed to disappear as he charged, his magical power fuelling his unnatural speed. Used to this kind of speed though, Naruto watched as the man raced in, arms raised and fingers curled in like claws for the attack. Dropping to the floor a moment early, Naruto let Jose pass over the top of him and lashed out with a kick. While not quite on target, it managed to catch the mage just on the outside of his stomach. The blow didn't seem to affect him in the least however as his arms shot down to grasp Naruto's leg. His sharp nails sank deep into Naruto's flesh and the boy bit his lip to stop from crying out. Allowing his rotation to bring him around in a front flip, Jose growled and flung Naruto at the roof.

Unable to control himself such was the speed of the throw, Naruto smashed into the roof with a solid crunch, his body embedding into the stone quite deeply. Coughing as the air was knocked from his chest, Naruto wiped his chin and noticed a small trail of blood running from his mouth. Looking down at his leg through the puncture holes in his pants, he saw the deep perforations healing rapidly, the holes filling in with renewed muscle and eventually flesh. Frowning as he pulled himself free to stand on the roof, Naruto looked down at the glowing mage. 'Man, they weren't kidding. This guy is on a whole other level."

"You can even stick to inverted walls? You interesting little devil you!"

Suddenly a violent quake rocked the room as a loud boom echoed through the halls. Looking around anxiously, Naruto held his hands out while he heard Jose tut beneath him. "My, my, those dragons do like to rampage."

Frowning as he considered the words, he thought back to something Natsu told him back during Lullaby's attack. Raising an eyebrow, he looked down at the Master. "You mean Natsu and, from the sounds of it, Gajeel?"

Chuckling, Jose nodded. "Indeed. They seem to be causing quite the mess. Ah well, they can play for the moment. It's time to deal with the more pressing matters."

Raising a hand, palm up, the mage sneered up at Naruto. "I must admit though, you have really given me an enjoyable time. No other mage has ever managed to last so long against me."

Letting go his hold on the roof, Naruto let himself fall to the floor. He landed solidly in a crouch and looked up. The older man grinned down at him and pointed a closed fist at him. "I just can't stand the thought that a person as powerful as yourself is affiliated with that worthless guild."

Flicking out his index finger, something shot at Naruto's head at a near impossible speed, catching the blond square in the middle of the head and blowing him into the back wall with considerable force.

"Do you know why I didn't finish off Makarov earlier?"

Groaning as he held a hand to his head, Naruto ignored Jose for a moment as he blinked away the significant amounts of blood that had trickled into his eyes.

"It was because of despair!"

Pulling his headband back down to its rightful place, Naruto felt the hole in his scalp heal over, the headache unfortunately lingering a while longer. Sensing an attack, Naruto rolled quickly to the side as whatever spell Jose shot at him before imbedded into the rock beside him. Looking up, he saw the mage flick his finger at him again. Jumping up several feet in the air, he felt the blast shoot under him and collide with the rock. Landing, Naruto instantly started running in a zigzag pattern towards his opponent. It was proving difficult however as the speed of his attacks were something else.

"I wanted to show him despair."

Skidding to a stop besides a wall, Naruto looked up at the mage and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Grinning evilly, Jose lowered his hand. "Let me explain to one lesser than myself. How do you think he would feel if he awoke to find his guild completely destroyed? His family dead? His home town in tatters? The amount of sorrow he would experience would be intense. I will destroy that man with sorrow and unrest. He will not be able to escape. I'll make him suffer... suffer oh so very greatly, right up until the bitter end when he begs for me to end his life!"

Eyebrows dipping in anger, Naruto growled dangerously. "That is disgusting! Why do you hate him so much?"

Jose shrugged. "Phantom Lord has always been the number one strongest guild. In the whole of Fiore, our powers were unsurpassed, our numbers and even our funds, all unsurpassed. We were the very best. But then, for some reason, Fairy Tail came into considerable power within a few years. 'Titania' Erza... Mystogan... Laxus... Natsu the Salamander... even you, yourself are beginning to create ripples in the magic world, whether you like it or not. With these powerful men and women, Fairy Tail became as well renowned as my own guild! I just could not abide by such a thing... _especially _seeming it started out as such a disgustingly weak guild!"

By the end of his speech, Jose was visibly trembling, such was his anger. Naruto was trembling as well, his anger directed at the man before him though. Flashing forward, the two briefly exchanged solid blows, both blowing off a little steam before they came to a standstill again.

Struggling to hold himself back, Naruto glared at the man. "So what's your reason for telling me that you have a pathetic little jealousy streak? That you started up this whole battle for your own misguided pride?"

"Jealousy?" The guild master actually looked surprised. "No, not jealousy. I simply wish to make clear that we are the superior guild!"

Shaking some more, Naruto forced himself to relax. It was a great deal of effort, but eventually he managed. "What a pitiable excuse. What... ugh, I don't even know what to say!"

Sighing as he felt the familiar boost enter his system, he opened his eyes feeling a great deal calmer than he was a moment ago. Jose seemed to notice the change as well and leaned in. "You... what just happened? Something changed."

Looking up at him evenly, Naruto relaxed back into the beginning stance of the **Kawazu Kumite** **(Frog Kata)**. "I calmed down. Getting angry won't solve anything. All I need to do is defeat you and then everything will be restored to normality."

Growling, Jose lifted his fist again. "Do you _really_ think that just because you're calmer now that you have more of a chance? You might be strong, but you are a complete fool."

Flicking his finger out, he expected Naruto to fly back, but widened his eyes in surprise as the attack flew straight through his head. 'An afterimage!'

Seeing a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision, Jose weaved to the side, narrowly avoiding the sneak attack. Or so he though.

A thunderous impact smashed into his face as the fist breezed by, the force bending his whole face inwards around the point of contact before being brutally thrown across the room to smash into the far wall with a sickening crunch. He gasped in pain as he felt a few of his ribs crack; such was the force he hit the wall with. Pulling himself free, he dropped to the ground and spat out a wad of blood that filled his mouth. Glaring daggers at the calm blond, he pointed a furious finger at the teen. "What the _hell_ was that?"

Naruto didn't respond and simply dropped back into that first stance again. Lashing out a hand, Jose threw what looked like a long, snake like ghost at Naruto, the creature lining up to capture him within its grasp. Just as it wrapped around him though, a crunch sounded out as the snake constricted around a mass of rubble. Eyes widening, Jose turned to see Naruto running in, hand reared back. Dropping well out of the way, the mage managed to avoid the attack this time, but still felt the gust of wind blow past his head despite the fact that the swing missed by over a foot. Rolling backwards, Jose considered the boy. 'Whatever that thing he did before seems to have given him an unseen aura around him that allows him to hit me, even if he 'misses'. What a frustrating ability.'

Standing up straight, the guild master grinned at Naruto. "Well now, you seem to have acquired quite the ability boost. Seeming you deemed me worthy of such an honor, let me show you mine! I wanted to show Makarov this, but you'll do just as well I think!"

Drawing upon his massive reserves, Jose groaned as his power flowed within him. Opening his eyes in a flash of dark light, he chuckled as the whites of his eyes clouded over in an inky black, his pupils shrinking and turning yellow. Screaming out in glee, the mage fired out several purple and black snakes again, all zeroing in on Naruto with astounding speed. Frowning, Naruto dodged all the attacks by millimeters, the dark energy making his skin crawl as it passed by.

Running from within the maze of creatures, Naruto crossed his fingers and five clones sprung to life around him. Each separated off to another part of the room and began charging a **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)** in their hands. Only waiting a moment, they sprinted in, arms outstretched as they attacked. Not quite knowing what the assault was but knowing it was deadly nevertheless, Jose retracted his snakes with a snarl and encircled himself with them. The blue balls all detonated upon contact with the purple shroud and the whole room imploded in on itself as the structure gave way beneath the force of the onslaught.

Being blown away by the power of the explosion, Naruto and his clones all landed on a wall, each looking down impassively at the cocoon that had fallen to the next floor down. The purple defence receded slowly as Jose glared up at the blond in hatred. He was looking rather messed up too, blood dripping down the front of his face along with the majority of his luscious clothing having been shredded. Not wasting a moment however, he lashed out an arm at the nearest teen he could see.

"**Dead Wave!**"

The blast rocketed towards the wall, the blond only just being able to avoid the attack. What he didn't expect was for a ball to shoot out of the original wave and bore a hole straight through his stomach. He coughed up a large wad of blood as his eyes widened before he exploded in a cloud of smoke.

Growling, the mage tried again, but this time the remaining teens were wizened up to it as they dashed around the attack and headed for the far wall. Landing solidly behind Jose, they all stood up and stared at him as he turned around menacingly, his eye twitching uncontrollably.

The Naruto in the middle of the pack stepped forward and met the glare. "Jose. This can stop now. If you just leave now, no one else has to get hurt."

The maniacal glint in the mages eye increased as well as his eye twitch. "What was that you insolent brat? You DARE to ask me to leave?"

Naruto inclined his head slightly. "I do. I don't wish to cause you or any more of your members further harm. However, should you continue pushing me, I _will_ finish you."

A purple aura literally exploded out around Jose as his fury burned brighter than ever before. "That... that you would even have the GALL to assume you could finish me... I... you... raaaaaahhHHHHHHH!"

Completely losing his ability to speak such was his overpowering wrath, Jose flung his hands out to the sides and began generating a number of thick, black ghosts, all looking far more dangerous than anything he had thrown before. Frowning as he literally felt the air vibrate from the power, Naruto stepped back, two clones breaking away. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I shall try minimise the damage to your people, but the building is as good as gone."

Turning, the three of them ran up the walls of the broken giant and jumped high into the sky. His memory was suddenly assaulted with the death of his remaining clones below. Frowning at the disgusting feeling, Naruto rolled over in the air and held his hand out. The clone either side of him held their hands out beside his own hand and began generating the necessary chakra combinations, a glowing blue light beginning to form in Naruto's palm.

Hearing a furious cry from beneath him, Naruto looked down and saw Jose directing his attack into the sky, the snake aimed right at him. A chiming ring began to fill the air as his attack neared the end of its birth, his clones popping when their job was done. Lifting the attack above his head, Naruto took a breath as the ringing ball of bright blue and white light flickered in his hand. Focusing on the very edge of the remains of the giant, Naruto reared his hand back.

"**Futon: Rasenshuriken (Wind Release: Spiralling Shuriken).**"

The enormous ball was then flung from his hand. It ploughed through the heads and bodies of the snakes like they didn't even exist before crashing into the side of the giant not even a second later. The ball seemed to bury into the side of the stone a fair way before the power contained within the attack began to expand. An agonised scream of pure pain echoed above the harsh ringing for a moment before it was swallowed up in the silence that preceded a deafening boom.

XxXxXxX

_* a more general term that allows more feelings than just worry_

_A/N - ... holy crap, that was a mission. That is easily my biggest chapter by several thousand words too. I know you all have been expecting great things of Naruto for a while now so I wanted to give you something really awesome to read. _

_I really agonised over this chapter, so please, if you ever leave a review, now would be the time. _

_On another note, with how the story is going, I am delighted to say that most probably with the post of this chapter, I will hit 1000 reviews! Honestly, thank you to EVERYONE that has contributed to helping me reach this amazing milestone. _

_I hope this was exactly the kind of thing you have been waiting to read and with that, I leave you until the next chapter. _

_Big thanks to Vandenbz for betaing this bad boy. Wyrd Darcnyzz is a very patient person as well as extremely attentive to detail. I would never have picked up on the errors he did so thank you!_

_Lanky Nathan_


	15. Chapter 15

Naruto looked up to the sky as he floated in the ocean, the small waves sloshing around his body. After the explosion, Naruto had been thrown far from the guild just like he expected. He'd checked the blast radius as he fell too and was relieved to see it only really encompassed the Phantom Lord Guild. It was a good thing he'd toned it down a tiny bit or else he might have taken a chunk out of the dock. Closing his eyes as he let the water support his weight, Naruto listened to the distant shouting and general noise of his friends along the cry of a few sea birds in the distance. It was nice to have a moment to himself.

"Naruto! Where are you, boy?"

Hearing an old voice, the blond lifted his soggy head from the water. "Makarov! How did you know I'd be out here? Weren't you sick?"

Sitting in a boat, the old man looked down at him in amusement. "Simple physics. I was racing over here to make sure my children were alright and saw you in the middle of throwing that devastating, ringing blue and white ball into Phantom Lord. It wouldn't take a genius to work out you'd be thrown this far away from it. It looks like you beat me to the punch in protecting my kids too. I'd just been healed and was on my way here now."

Shrugging, Naruto drew on his chakra and pushed himself up onto the water's surface. He ignored Makarov's raised eyebrow and took a few steps back. "Hold on a second. **Fuuton:** **Fuku Ha Kansou no Jutsu** **(Wind Release: Clothes Drying Technique).**"

Water exploded off him and Naruto looked down at himself in satisfaction. "Best thing I have ever created."

Climbing into the boat, Naruto took a seat and the old man sat back as a pair of oars started rowing by themselves. Chalking that up to the old man's magic, Naruto lent back and looked up.

"So what happened to Jose?"

Not getting a proper look at the sky, Naruto looked back down and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I toned down the attack and made sure to miss him. He was still pretty close but."

Hearing the explanation, Makarov raised his chin slightly. "Did you kill him?"

Again Naruto shrugged, but this time he had a resigned frown on his face. "I did what I had to to stop him. He threatened to slaughter everyone in the guild so I reacted as anyone would when trying to protect their friends. I guess we'll find out whether or not he survived in time."

Waving his hand gently, the boat began turning as Makarov directed. "I'd prefer to find out sooner rather than someone else find him later."

Nodding acceptingly, Naruto looked out over the water to try and spot anything. There wasn't much that remained of the guild, most of it being vaporised by the uncountable, tiny blades of the **Rasenshuriken (Spiralling Shuriken). **Looking over to the port side of the boat, he heard Makarov call his name and pointed out in the other direction. "What's that? I see red."

Seeing it also, Naruto jumped out and ran over to the ripped fabric. It was a corner piece of the guild Master's cape. Picking it up, Naruto looked around. Seeing something a bit more solid in the distance, he walked over slowly. His features darkened as he drew closer, the figure becoming apparent.

Former guild Master Jose was lying face down in the water, a tinge of red surrounding him. Kneeling down, Naruto rolled him over and looked away.

The mage was a deathly pale, his bloodied mouth frozen open in horror and his eyes rolled into the back of his head with only the whites of them showing. Reaching out, Naruto ran a palm over his face and closed the man's eyes. Now able to look upon him, Naruto surveyed the damage. There was no doubt that he had been severely injured by the attack as every single pore on his body seemed to be leaking a pinprick of blood once the water stopped washing it away. There was a large gash in his hair line however; signifying that something massive had struck him solidly, ripping away the flesh right down to the bone. His clothing was mostly ok, if a bit waterlogged and ratty. It was quite the contrast to his actual body.

Feeling a bump on his leg, Naruto looked over and saw the boat had lightly tapped him. "So he is dead."

The blond nodded but didn't say anything. Nothing was said for a moment before the old man behind him sighed. "Best not leave him there. Drag him in."

Complying, the boy turned and lifted the drenched corpse into the boat. Laying him down gently, he sat down beside the mage as Makarov inspected him. "Well boy, you did what you said you would. Though I do wonder if you directly killed him. This gash is enormous. If that didn't kill him, it would have knocked him out for sure and lying face down like that for even five minutes means he would have drowned."

Considering the option as possible, Naruto nodded. "Alright, what now? I doubt you'd want to take this back for everyone to see. You also seem to be taking seeing a dead body rather well."

Makarov waved his hand again and the boat began gently moving towards the dock on the far end of Magnolia Town. "I'll have to contact the magic council and let them know of this development. Having one of the Ten Wizard Saints die is no small thing. They will collect the body. And who ever said I've never seen a dead body? I merely said I've never killed anyone."

While he was talking, Naruto noticed Makarov's little body seemed to glow for a second before fading. Ignoring it, he leant back. "So what does this mean? Will I be in trouble?"

Pulling a pen and paper from his jacket, Makarov began to write something. "I don't know. All I can tell you is after that flashy attack, you have just dumped yourself right in the limelight. There won't be a guild within twenty miles that won't know about this by tomorrow."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I just hope they don't go and get the wrong idea."

Makarov shrugged and replaced the pen back into his pocket. Folding the letter in half two or three times, he looked up at the blond. "It shouldn't matter what they think. You saved my children, so that's all that I'm concerned with."

Hearing a flutter of wings and a tiny chirp, Naruto looked up to see a little blue bird flying for them. He raised an eyebrow and smirked when he saw it also wore a tiny purple witch's hat that sagged off to one side.

"Master Makarov! Master Makarov! You called?"

Holding up his arm, the little bird landed on his finger. "Yes, I have a bit of an urgent message I need delivered. Would you mind?"

"Not at all!"

Handing the letter over, Makarov touched the bird's tiny head and it seemed to glow for a moment. The light passed soon enough, but when the bird shot off like a bullet into the main land, Naruto knew the old man must have passed on a little magic to energise it. Watching it disappear into the distance, Naruto turned back to Makarov. "So what's the plan with Jose?"

Looking down at the paling corpse, Makarov made a face. "We'll have to wait until one of the council mages comes to collect him. It shouldn't take more than thirty minutes, but I really want to get back to the guild to check on them."

Shrugging, Naruto crossed his fingers. "I'll leave a few clones with him if you want. They can take him away from anywhere the public could see."

Frowning, the old mage nodded. "That could work. The council will be able to track Jose so you won't need to worry about signals or anything. I'd stay with him, but my guild comes first, especially after an attack like this."

Reaching the dock, Naruto jumped out and roped the boat in. Creating a few clones, he helped Makarov out while his replicas lifted Jose out. Glancing back at the original, they nodded once before running off to the mountains that protected the town borders. Looking down at his companion, Naruto saw the man incline his head towards the guild and start walking.

XxXxXxX

"FIGHT ME!"

Backing away from the excited boy, Naruto looked around at the rest of the guild who were all looking at him in disbelief. "Come on Naruto! I had no idea you were that strong! Ah, I'm SO FIRED UP RIGHT NOW!"

Flames began shooting all over the place as Natsu raged enthusiastically. Unused to the stares from everyone, Naruto waved his hands at the mages. "What? That was nothing! Honest! Besides, isn't it crazy how fast old man Makarov healed?"

He heard a chuckle from the short mage. "You're not talking your way out of this one."

Cursing silently, Naruto frowned. Before he could say anything though, Erza stepped forward. "Why didn't you tell any of us you were that strong? We thought we had a general idea, but that is beyond anything we expected."

Naruto looked away from the red haired girl. "Well, no use bragging ya know? Besides, what's not to say someone helped me with that final attack?"

He looked up and saw a lot of flat looks directed at him. "... well, it wasn't that crazy."

This time, Lucy spoke up. She still had red rimmed eyes from crying after everyone had stood up for her, but was looking better in herself than she had for a while. "Why are you trying to downplay your part in this? You saved me, again! You defeated one of the Ten Wizard Saints and destroyed his guild while at it! Don't you trust us enough yet to tell us everything?"

Deflating slightly under her concerned and hurt eyes, Naruto scratched the back of his neck and looked away. "It's not that, it's just... me. Understand?"

He heard a mighty snort sound out from Erza. "Not in the slightest. Please, enlighten us as to why you don't trust yourself enough to tell us everything?"

Looking down at Makarov, he saw the old man had sat down and had closed his eyes. No help there. Sighing, Naruto looked up. "I just didn't wanna get attached too much to you. I'll be leaving for home as soon as I can, so I didn't want to make things hard for everyone."

Having looked away as he spoke, Naruto wasn't ready for the slap that connected with his cheek. Looking up in surprise, he saw Erza glaring at him, arm outstretched. "_That's _your reason? What do you take us for? We don't care if you had to leave, you are a dear friend to a lot of us now whether you like it or not. If anything, you hurt us more by trying to sever the bonds with us that were growing naturally."

Feeling a touch indignant, Naruto held a hand to his face. "Oi! It's not like I wanted to hurt anyone! If anything, I was trying to STOP everyone getting hurt!"

Not backing down the slightest, Erza got in close to his face. "Well you obviously didn't think too hard about it did you?"

Naruto lent in until his forehead touched Erza's. "Of course I did! I wanted to save everyone the pain of goodbye, dattebayo!"

Erza then pressed her own head in, forcing Naruto back. "But you would come back wouldn't you?"

Growling, Naruto pushed her back. "Yeah, of course I'd try, DATTEBAYO!"

Snapping her head back, Erza stepped out of the way and let Naruto fall flat to the ground on his face. "So what's wrong with making bonds now? That just means you'd have even closer friends to come back to."

Pouting, Naruto sat up and rubbed his forehead. Seeing a pair of legs walk in front of him, he looked up. Gazing down at him with a frown was Levy. He also noticed that Jet and Droy were standing behind her. They all still looked pretty bashed up, what with being covered in bandages and wound gauze, but it was good to see them up. "Levy-chan! Jet, Droy, how are you guys?"

"So you didn't want to be friends with us?"

"Heh?" Not at all expecting that answer from the small girl, Naruto widened his eyes.

"You just said you were trying to distance yourself from everyone."

Not quite knowing what to say, the blond looked around as he began feeling out numbered. There were various faces looking down on him, some angry, some upset, others indifferent and yet others understanding. Crossing his legs, he pulled them in close to his hips. "Well, no, I want you all as friends, I just didn't want to hurt anyone in case I couldn't come back."

Kneeling down, Levy frowned at him. "Yeah, but what if you can't get back? What if you were stuck here?"

"I... I'd say..." Trailing off, Naruto looked off to the side. He hadn't actually considered that as a possibility. He was so focused on getting home that he hadn't even entertained the idea. Shaking his head, he looked up at Levy. "But I will, and I know I will!"

Sighing in frustration, the girl shook her head. "That is such a Natsu thing to say. Please, consider just for a second what would happen if and I say if, you couldn't get home. What then?"

Naruto began to think, but was cut off by Levy. "You'd be left with us never truly knowing who you are or being able to trust you. Yes, you have done a great deal for us, but sometimes you just gotta open all the way up."

Looking down as the girl chastised him, Naruto pouted again. Why were they being so hard when he was just trying to look out for them?

"Naruto." Hearing the old guild master's voice, the blond looked over. He was now standing and his piercing eyes were boring deep into Naruto's soul. "Sometimes, you need to stop worrying about what you think is best for people and let them do what they want. So what if you might have to go home soon? It doesn't matter if it's tomorrow or in two years. They're not asking you to stop looking for a way home, they're just asking you to let them grow close to you in the time everyone have. Seeming it's limited as it is, isn't that just more of an excuse to cherish the time with all your friends?"

As the words sunk in, Naruto's eyes flicked from friend to friend. In everyone's eyes he saw, whether it be Levy frowning in front of him, Erza standing back still scowling, Natsu smiling that annoying smile of his, Gray trying his best to look disinterested or Mirajane looking on worriedly, he saw they all were agreeing with their Master's words. Looking back down, Naruto frowned and began drawing in the dirt. "Well... fine. Sorry."

He wasn't expecting Levy to tackle him the second that word slipped from his mouth. Looking up from the ground, he saw her smiling widely at him. "That's fine. I forgive you. We all do. Right?"

Looking up at the guild, Naruto heard all the mages offer up a cry of support, most grinning down at him. Blushing lightly at the attention, Naruto coughed and sat up, Levy still attached to his shoulders. "Yeah, well, thanks for that. Can we change topics now?"

Laughing, Levy let go and ruffled his hair as she stood up. Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto dusted himself down and tried to ignore the positively evil vibes Jet and Droy were sending him. He then looked up at the guild and sweat dropped as he surveyed the damage. The guild had promptly collapsed once the iron bars were pulled out as they were the only things holding it up. Now all that remained was a whole lot of rubble and a couple of broken beams sticking up at random intervals through the stone. "So what will we do about this?"

Erza then stepped forward and took control of the situation as she usually did. "Alright everyone! Seeming it's late in the day, we will all go home. Come tomorrow, we will begin rebuilding the guild. Any complaints?"

Even if anyone did have any, no one stepped up to the powerful mage for fear of being flattened. Smiling happily, the woman then stretched her arm out. "Good. Now, off to bed with all of you!"

Hearing a murmur from the crowd, the mages began talking amongst themselves as people began breaking away and heading for home. Watching as they left, Naruto sighed. It had been a rather big day, so sleep was sounding good. Unfortunately though, his stomach decided to remind him he hadn't eaten anything substantial for a long while. Feeling his cheeks hollow as the overwhelming hunger sapped his strength, he heard a giggle and looked over. "Hungry, Naruto? Come on, let's see if I can't scratch together anything for you."

Smiling gratefully at Mirajane, Naruto nodded heartily. "Thank you so much. I don't think I've felt this hungry ever."

"Mirajane! Do you mind if myself, Lucy and Natsu join?"

Turning, the blond ninja and barmaid looked over to see Erza watching them with crossed arms. Natsu and Lucy were also standing beside her, looking up at Erza cautiously. Pouting his lips, Naruto considered the woman. "What would you say if we did mind..."

Laughing loudly, Erza stepped forward and grabbed Naruto's head and slammed it against her iron clad chest in a rugged form of a hug. "Ah Naruto, you do tell a good joke. Anyway, I know a lovely place to eat."

XxXxXxX

Erza and Natsu watched on with a small amount of awe at the amount of food Naruto was managing to consume. Mirajane smiled happily and nodded approvingly at the fact the boy had a healthy appetite. Lucy unfortunately had to watch on in worry, her eyes watering slightly as she saw her purse rapidly losing money to the blonde's stomach. Holding a hand out hesitantly, the girl tried to smile. "Uh, Naruto, you do know you don't have to eat _everything_ on the menu, right?"

Naruto nodded and made some noises around a mouthful of food before swallowing and repeating the process. Naruto always knew she'd buy him another round. Happy had accompanied the group and was looking up at Lucy innocently as Naruto continued to devour inhuman amounts of food. "You know, I didn't think you'd be that dumb to feed him twice. You grumped over it for hours last time."

Moaning and dropping her head to the table, Lucy flinched as she heard another cry for more. "I know! I don't even know why I said yes! If anything, he should be treating _me_ to dinner after my traumatic experience!"

Erza looked down at Lucy in amusement as she sipped a cup of tea. "Your cake, miss."

Looking up at the waiter, the red head sent him a lovely smile. "Thank you. It looks delicious."

Looking down at the cake with excited eyes, the mage slid a fork into the multi layered chocolate treat and her face lit up in pure delight as she took the first bite. Moaning gently to herself, she furrowed her eyebrows as the chocolate melted in her mouth before swallowing. Sighing happily, she opened an eye and looked over to Naruto who was continuing to inhale food. "So Naruto, I believe Natsu had a question for you?"

Pausing, the blond looked over. Seeing himself as now the center of attention, Natsu looked around. "Eh? Oh, yeah, that's right! Naruto! Damnit, how did you know I was off Phantom Lord before you threw that thing of yours? That could have killed me!"

Swallowing as curious eyes focused on him, Naruto nodded. "Well, I was using **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) **at the time and when I'm in that state, I can feel everyone around me a lot better, so I knew Lucy and Happy had grabbed you. As for everyone else on there, I aimed for the guild itself so when it exploded, the shockwave would throw them away before the actual blast hit them."

Erza and Lucy frowned and the blond girl spoke up. "You know, that is a little reckless. What if –"

"Eh, alright! Atleast everyone is fine." Completely cutting off Lucy, the dragon slayer leant back with his fingers interlocked behind his head as he smiled at Naruto. The girl went to say something, but Mirajane butted in. "That's right! It doesn't matter what happened. So long as we are all here, that's all that matters to me."

Naruto made a muffled noise and smiled grotesquely at them as food spilled out from between his teeth. While Lucy shrieked in disgust, Erza looked over at Mirajane. "It is good that it is all over now, isn't it?"

Turning to face her friend, the white haired woman nodded happily. "Perhaps now we can have a bit of a rest. It just seems to be one thing after another lately."

XxXxXxX

Standing back at the guild, the group of friends finished up their conversations as the sun dipped beneath the horizon. Natsu and Happy didn't take long before they ran off with a shouted good bye, disappearing into the streets as they headed home. Lucy was lamenting the fact her purse was once again empty while Mirajane, Erza and Naruto spoke. The topic had turned to injuries and Mirajane was currently fussing over Erza. "So you're ok from taking that hit from Jupiter? I still can't believe you weren't hurt more."

Nodding, the mage gently pushed her away. "Yes, Mirajane I am fine. Maybe a couple of bruises and perhaps a light sprain from the fall, but nothing that won't heal in a day or two. How about you though?"

Shrugging, the girl smiled gently as her eyes dipped to the side as she remembered something. "No, I'm fine. Elfman came to my rescue before anything bad could happen."

She then turned the conversation to Naruto and looked him over. "But what about you? You fought the hardest out of us all!"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto shook his head. "I heal fast enough that anything that did injure me is all better. You already saw that. You should be more worried about Lucy."

Instantly remembering the blond girl, Mirajane turned to her. "That's right! Lucy, are you feeling ok now?"

Sighing as she endured the gentle pat down, Lucy smiled as she reached out and grabbed her friend's hands. "Yes Mira, I'm still perfectly ok. Nothing has changed from the last ten or so times you have asked me. So stop worrying ok? It can't be healthy!"

Nodding, Mirajane pulled back with a blush. "Well, I can't help it. I just can't stand the thought of my friends being hurt."

Smiling as he watched the girls chat, Naruto took a step back. They seemed to be enjoying themselves so why interrupt. Waving a hand, Naruto turned and began walking.

"WAIT A MINUTE!"

Hearing a shout, Naruto turned to see Mirajane running at him. "You haven't done your diary entry in like, three days!"

Crying out in surprise, Naruto dodged the girl as she tried to grab him. Laughing, he then began to dance around her efforts to grab him, taunting her as she gradually became more frustrated. Finally coming to a stop, she pouted and held her arms straight down by her sides with her fists turned out. "Hold still you little grasshopper!"

Laughing, Naruto stuck his tongue out at her. It only lasted a moment before he was suddenly flipped upside down and suspended mid air by Erza holding onto his leg. "Oi! Let me go!"

"What was this I hear about a diary?"

Naruto froze as Erza's amused voice reached his ears. Squirming in her grip, Naruto growled defensively. "Mira-chan talked me into it! She's the one who's doing it anyway, not me!"

Mira's upside down face then came before his eyes. "Oh Naruto, don't be silly. I know you secretly enjoy it. Why else would you have stolen it from my top?"

Seeing him pause, Mirajane tapped her nose and winked at him. "Don't think I didn't notice you slip your hand down there and snatch it when you pulled your jacket over my head. Any girl instantly knows when something touches her there."

Naruto pouted and looked away. "Whatever, I didn't even touch you! I grabbed the book, not you."

The barmaid sighed when she heard this. "Oh, that's disappointing. I was thinking about your touch the whole day afterwards."

Flicking his eyes over to the girl, Naruto could swear he felt something begin pooling in his nose. "...really?"

Laughing, Mirajane flicked his forehead and stood up. "Ah Naruto, you're such a little pervert."

Sulking at the flick, Naruto shot her a glance. "Well, you're no worse than me, thinking about me grabbing your boobs for a whole day!"

Smiling, Mira didn't answer and looked to Erza. "Would you be a dear and put him down? I must find where he put his diary."

The red head had been chuckling to herself the whole conversation and nodded. Dropping the boy in a heap at Mirajane's feet, she dusted her hands off. "Well, if that's all, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone to sort things out. See you both tomorrow! Lucy, I can walk you home."

"Bye!" Waving a hand at the departing mages, Mirajane then turned her gaze down to Naruto, a glint of some sort visible in her eye. "Alright mister, where did you put the book?"

Rolling onto his back, Naruto looked up at the woman bent over him. "I left it at Cana's house. What, you gonna follow me there now?"

She sent him a happy smile and pulled him to his feet. "Yup!" Sliding her arm through Naruto's, she then rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. "Now, walk me there like a true gentleman."

Not used to this kind of physical contact, Naruto looked down at her unsurely before settling for just nodding and walking.

XxXxXxX

Cana raised an amused eyebrow at the sight before her. Naruto was currently looking very uncomfortable while Mirajane was attached firmly to his arm, smiling happily at the tall brunette. "Cana! How are you? I just came over with Naruto to make sure he was doing his diary entry. You don't mind if I intrude?"

Shaking her head, the woman stood back. "Not at all. In fact, you'll be pleased to know that I caught him writing in it the other night."

Squealing happily, Mira hugged Naruto's arm. "I knew it! You do like it!"

Letting go, the excitable girl then walked past Cana while Naruto trailed behind, grumbling to himself. Closing the door, Cana turned and chuckled. "So, what were you going to do tonight then? Did you want to stay?"

Turning, Mirajane smiled at the mage. "Oh, I couldn't, I'd be intruding."

Rolling her eyes, Cana just snorted and wandered over to the kitchen bench and picked up a flask of some strong liquor. She took a gulp and wiped her mouth before answering. "Come on Mira, you know I couldn't care about that stuff. The only problem is I don't have a second spare bed."

Naruto dropped into a chair and leaned back. No need to interrupt them sorting out something like that.

Mira, being the care free girl she was, just shrugged at the problem. "Well, I don't mind either way. I'm happy sleeping with either of you, or I'll sleep on the floor if that's too uncomfortable for you."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto couldn't help but say, "Mira-chan, I'd sleep on the floor if it came to that. Nothing against you, but you seem _way_ too girly to last a night on the floor."

Pouting, she stuck her tongue out at the boy. "Hush you. I'll have you know that I have slept quite well on the floor before."

Naruto shrugged and leant back again. "Could have fooled me."

He got a glare but ignored it easily enough. The girls then went back to talking as they discussed the two options over and over. Time seemed to drag on and before long Naruto yawned as his eyes began to feel gritty. Standing, he looked over as the girls stopped talking. They had since changed topics to dress designs. "We'll, that's nice 'n' all but I gotta sleep. Big day and all that. I'll sleep on the floor. Night."

Turning, he found a hand on his shoulder and moaned as Mira's chirpy voice reached him. "Ah - ah! You still need to do your diary!"

"Are you serious? It's late and I'm tired!"

The girl shook her head. "Nope! Tell you what but, you can have the bed if you do. I'll sort out sleeping arrangements with Cana."

Groaning, Naruto sighed and walked into his bedroom as he tried to ignore both girls laughing at him. Grabbing the book, he walked out and waved it at Mirajane. "Ok, book."

He opened it and wrote down a couple of things. "Entry, done."

He then snapped it closed. "Now, nap time."

Walking back into the room, he resisted the urge to sigh again as he heard both girls call out goodnight in overly sweet tones.

XxXxXxX

Naruto stood in front of the guild with a highly unimpressed look on his face. Fairy Tail mages surrounded him, most looking out in horror. Slapping a palm to his face and dragging it down, Naruto looked up at the council's army of Rune Knights they had sent out. After the fight, Makarov told them they would probably get a visit from them. What he didn't expect was the large number of them all demanding they all remain silent and follow their orders.

Naruto wasn't really in the mood to deal with these guys either after the large amount of teasing he copped from Cana and Mirajane after he blacked out from a nose bleed in front of them. The cause of that was because Naruto (in all his generosity) had decided to fix them breakfast, seeming Cana had commented on it so nicely the day before. He had knocked and heard the call to enter only to find them snuggled up in the same bed. When he came to, the pair explained that it was normal for girls to do girly things like that. He had shaken his head saying, "Ero-Sennin never told me that", only to become the object of their humour for the rest of the morning. As such, something like what was happening now was something the blond really didn't want to endure now.

Makarov had promptly burst into tears upon seeing all the knights and guards, declaring he didn't want to get arrested as Erza stood beside him, calling out encouragement to the Master. True to form, Natsu and Happy tried to make a break for it but were promptly caught by the large number of soldiers. Most everyone else complied however as they saw this was the fastest way to deal with everything.

Watching as groups of ten were led away, Naruto then looked over as five high ranking soldiers came forward to him. "Are you Fairy Tail's Orange Rocket?"

Sweat dropping severely, Naruto gave them an incredulous look. "No, I'm not. I'm not even a part of the guild."

Looking down at a piece of paper in their hands, the leader looked up at him and nodded. "According to eye witnesses and several descriptions, you seem to be the 'Orange Rocket' we're looking for."

'Orange Rocket? The hell kind of lame ass name is that?' Snorting, Naruto rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Well, I'm actually more partial towards purple so I have no idea where you got that idea."

Looking down, the knights observed over his orange and black jacket and looked at him questioningly. "Perhaps it is your outfit then."

Resisting the urge to fall flat on his face, Naruto just started laughing in their faces. Not quite understanding what the blond found so funny, the head knight stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Regardless, you must come with us. We have already collected Guild Master Makarov, so if you would please comply, it will make everything easier for everyone involved."

"Why should I?"

Not at all expecting that question, the head knight looked around for a moment. "Well... because we must talk with you about a highly important matter."

Unimpressed, Naruto raised his hands behind his head. "Sorry, no can do. I'm not a part of any guild, and I'm not even a mage. You should be investigating the remains of Phantom Lord anyway, they're the ones that started it."

Frowning, the guard stepped forward. "We need both sides of the story. Now will you come, or will we be forced to make you?"

Grinning, Naruto dropped his hands. "Yeah, you'll have to force me. It's more fun that way."

"Fine."

Reaching out to grab Naruto, the knight recoiled in surprise when Naruto exploded in a puff of smoke.

"NARUTO! Don't leave me here to deal with this alone!" Turning, the rune knights looked at the small guild master as he looked up at the roof, tears in his eyes. Following his line of sight, they saw the blond jumping away over the roofs, cackling gleefully as he escaped.

Growing red in the face, the head rune knight pointed at the shrinking boy. "FOLLOW HIM! Catch him at any cost; he has vital information regarding the situation!"

Crying out, the lower knights took chase. They had no idea what they got themselves into.

XxXxXxX

Naruto sat in one of the tents the rune knights had set up just outside of town for all the questioning. He was tied up and sitting cross legged on the ground, a pout on his face but an unmissable twinkle of satisfaction in his eyes. The reason for his amusement was every guard that came to chase him (which was pretty much the entire regiment) had some form of a prank pulled on them. Paint splashes covered some, others had glue and feathers covering them in inappropriate places and yet others were still being cut down from trees. There were other such pranks and Naruto was proud of all of them.

The head knight that was interviewing him and Makarov personally had little bat wings firmly attached to either side of his helmet and wasn't looking pleased. Luckily for Naruto however, professionalism took over and he cleared his throat.

"Well, now that we are _finally _all here, we can begin this." He looked pointedly at Naruto. "Now, would you mind telling me things from your perspective?"

Sighing loudly as Makarov began talking, Naruto looked to the exit. His line of sight was quickly blocked by several angry guards. Sighing again, he fell onto his back and closed his eyes. It seemed like this was going to take forever so now was as good a time as any to take a nap.

XxXxXxX

A foot connected with Naruto's side and jolted him awake. Snorting and blinking rapidly, he looked around. "Finally awake aye? It's your turn to give your recount."

Yawning as the ropes were cut from him, Naruto scratched his head and looked at the chair Makarov once occupied. "Where's the old man?"

The knight in charge raised an eyebrow. "Not that it concerns you, but he went to the toilet. Now, sit."

Yawning again, Naruto plopped down. "So, what do you wanna know?"

Leaning in, the knight rested his arms on the table. "We want to hear about how you defeated Guild Master Jose and managed to destroy the entire Phantom Lord guild."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Didn't the old man tell you that?"

The knight shook his head. "He saw it from a distance as he came back from being treated or so he says. We want a record of the first hand experience."

The blond just shrugged. "Not much to tell. I fought him, threw a little attack into the guild and bamph, I broke it."

Standing up, the knight loomed over him. "There's clearly more to it than that. We have a dead Wizard from the Ten Saints who was killed by you!"

Naruto stared up defiantly. "What evidence you got?"

Sitting back down, the knight crossed his arms. "We have a first hand recount from Master Makarov."

Grumbling, Naruto looked off to the side. "Damn it old man... yeah, perhaps I did. It might not have even been my fault though, he was lying face down in the water with a large gash in his hair. He easily could have drowned. Did the old man tell you that?

The knight nodded. "Indeed, he told me all possibilities."

Looking back at the man challengingly, Naruto narrowed one eye. "So you gonna arrest me now?"

Chuckling, the knight shook his head. "No. Normally, most definitely we would. However, a great deal of evidence in support of your guild's defence has been put forward, so what you did can be put down as self defence."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto slapped his hands on the table. "For the last time, I haven't joined the guild yet! Why does everyone keep saying that?"

Raising his eyebrows, the knight looked at Naruto for a moment. Turning to a guard, he clicked his fingers a few times. "Bring me the latest edition of the Sorcerer Magazine."

The guard disappeared for a moment before reappearing with a little purple book. Grabbing it off him, the head knight opened it and flicked through a few pages. Finding what he was looking for, he spun the book around and pushed it in front of the blond. Looking at the knight suspiciously for a moment, Naruto then looked down and frowned when he saw a picture of himself.

"What the..."

It was a snap shot of him looking in through a window, eyes wide and looking like something had just startled him. Realisation hit him as the picture brought back memories. "I remember that! That was when I was heading for Hargeon Town! The bastard blinded me with the camera flash."

Looking down, Naruto then saw a couple of paragraphs written beneath it.

"_Hello again readers! It is I, the ever loyal Fairy Tail fan, Jason! This issue, I have a supremely interesting piece of news for all you incredible fans out there! Anyway, let me begin my story back in Magnolia town._

_I had just finished a weekend away and was heading back to Hargeon Town via the local railway. It was about halfway into the trip when I heard a loud commotion from the last few carriages. Hearing the noise, I couldn't help but be drawn to it. A number of people were rushing into my own carriage all the while looking out the window. Wondering what could possibly be going on, I took a look out the window and to my disbelief, this teen pictured above was running, yes my good readers, RUNNING alongside the train! Never have I ever seen such a display of awesome speed!_

_I was gobsmacked like most everyone else with me that this boy no older than maybe sixteen or seventeen had the ability to run at such a phenomenal speed! So I thought to myself I thought, I must capture this COOL mage in action! I had never seen any pictures of him before, so it is a mystery to anyone where he came from._

_I took the photo, but wouldn't you know it, the boy is camera shy because he disappeared the second after I took it! Isn't that just too funny?"_

Naruto growled when he read that last bit. It was this retards fault he 'disappeared'.

"_Anyway, later on I was walking around the lookout overlooking Hargeon Town when I overheard some of the locals talking about this dashing, if a bit dirty blond man dressed in an orange jacket and pants. I listened in good readers and found that he was from Fairy Tail! I couldn't believe my luck that the COOLEST guild in the whole world had taken on this amazing mage!_

Resisting the urge to rip the page out with his teeth, Naruto settled for stomping his foot. "This guy has no idea! I ain't a mage and I haven't joined!"

"_So my faithful readers, I felt it my duty to report back to you with this breaking news as quickly as I could. I have no idea what this mysterious mage's name is so for now, I dub him the 'Orange Rocket'! This is all I have for the moment, but do look forward to hearing plenty more in the near future!_

_Jason"_

Sitting back with a huff, Naruto glared at the magazine before succumbing to his inner urge and shredded the book. Ignoring the upset cry of, "Oi, that was my edition!", Naruto saw back in his chair with a huff and crossed his arms. "That's the biggest load of crap I have ever read, and I had a teacher that specialised in written porn."

"NARUTO!" Hearing his name shouted out from behind him, the boy turned just in time to catch a whack across the back of the head from Makarov. Hissing in pain, Naruto held his head and turned to face the old man, fiery anger burning in his eyes. "THE HELL WAS THAT FOR OLD MAN?"

Growling, Makarov pointed an agitated finger at the blond. "You! Running around and being all like, 'Oh, I'm totally a part of Fairy Tail'! Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to keep up with my own children destroying things, let alone dealing with the paper work from a boy who hasn't even officially joined yet?"

Stomping his foot, Naruto crossed his arms and looked away. "It's not my fault this guy decided to lable me as in the guild."

Watching the bickering duo in amusement, the head knight cleared his throat for attention. "Well... despite whatever did or didn't happen, you are now directly involved with Fairy Tail due to the Phantom Lord attack whether you like it or not."

Listening to the knight, Naruto winced as Makarov stuck an elbow into his thigh. "Good going brat."

Glaring down at him, Naruto poked his tongue out. "As if you wouldn't do the same."

"Quiet!"

Falling silent, both males had the decency to look a little sheepish. Sighing to himself, the head knight rubbed her forehead and looked up at the two. The sooner this was over, the better for all of them. "Anyway, for the moment you are free to go. The council though does have a rather unorthodox proposal for you, Mister Orange Rocket."

Growling, the blond stomped his foot. "It's Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

Shrugging, the knight continued. "Seeming you managed to take out a rogue Wizard of the Ten Saints, that leaves the powers a little unbalanced at the moment. I don't believe there has been a death of one of the Ten Wizard Saints in my time as a Rune Knight, so this seems like an acceptable proposal to me. Until they can find a suitable replacement, they wish for you, Uzumaki Naruto, to become a stand in Wizard of the Ten Saints."

Eyes widening, Naruto snorted. "Me? But I'm not even a wizard!"

The knight shrugged. "It is not for me to question. You managed to defeat Jose, thus they requested you as a stand in, mage or not."

Makarov decided to speak up when he saw Naruto open his mouth. "Boy. Think very carefully about what you have to say. To be offered such a prestigious position, _especially _at your young age is something incredibly significant."

Looking down at Makarov, Naruto went to say something, thought about it for a moment and then slowly closed his mouth. The members of the room grew quiet as they expectantly watched the blond for his answer. Time began to drag slightly, so the head knight spoke. "Well? Have you a reply?"

Looking up, Naruto shook his head slowly. "No, not yet. I really need to clear my head and think about this before making a decision."

Sighing unhappily, the knight nodded never the less. "I suppose that is a wise decision. The inquest into Phantom Lord will most probably continue for another couple of days, so if you wish, you can have until the end of those days to make your choice."

Nodding, Naruto turned and walked from the tent. A pair of guards went to grab him but an outstretched hand from the head knight stopped him. "Let him go. We can find him later."

Turning back to Makarov, the knight allowed himself a small grin. "You seemed to have picked up a most troublesome youth."

Rolling his eyes, the small guild master let out a sigh. "You have no idea."

XxXxXxX

Exhaling slowly, Naruto let the waves of natural energy run over him and he opened his eyes. A couple of startled birds took flight from his shoulders as he twitched. He had been sitting in a meditative pose on a piece of wood balanced on the top of a narrow rock out in his favourite training field. He had been trying to clear all the excess thoughts from his mind about everything that had been happening recently and it had just started to work before he sensed someone's presence. Looking down calmly, he saw Erza walking up to him, a lopsided smile on her face. "Well now, I didn't think I'd ever see you sitting so still."

Smiling at her, Naruto shrugged. "I don't usually unless I'm meditating. You'd be surprised how long I can remain motionless like this."

Standing easily on his platform, the blond dropped to the ground. Dusting himself down, he heard Erza snicker to herself. "What?"

Pointing over his shoulder, the mage raised an eyebrow. "Maybe next time you should put a scarecrow up beside you because one of those little birds left you a present."

Eyes widening, Naruto grabbed his shirt and pulled it forward to reveal a little, yellow-white patch on the back of his jacket. Groaning, the blond let go and the fabric settled back into place. "Well that's just brilliant."

Chuckling, Erza handed him a flask of water from somewhere on her person. "Here, use this."

Smiling thankfully, he drenched his shirt and removed the stain. Handing the flask back, Naruto concentrated for a moment before a shockwave of air shot out from him; drying the patch on his shoulder.

Watching with interest, Erza tucked away her flask. "That's a curious little trick."

The blond grinned. "Yeah, made it up myself. So what are you doing all the way out here?"

Folding her arms across her chest, the mage gave him an amused smile. "The Master showed us the entire article in the Sorcerer Magazine."

Growling, Naruto kicked at some dirt at his feet. "I'll have you know I'm not camera shy, he just blinded me with that damn flash of his and made me trip. Oh, and if anyone takes to calling me the 'Orange Rocket', I will hurt them. Such a tacky name should never be used to defile orange. The Orange Flash, that's more like it! But rocket? It sounds like the title of a crappy movie."

Laughing at him, Erza covered her mouth. He gave her a dirty look, but smiled soon enough. "Indeed. I'll make a point to relay that to the relevant guild members. The Master seemed pretty cranky that you were linked to the guild though."

Nodding, Naruto growled. "Yeah, something about not wanting to deal with the paper work I'd generate outside the guild."

Holding her hands behind her back, Erza smiled. "That's just his way of saying he'd rather you in the guild because then it wouldn't be a chore."

Looking at her curiously, Naruto tilted his head. "Does he mean that or are you just saying it to make me feel better?"

Shaking her head, Erza sighed. "Have you forgotten about what happened back at Clover already? He asked me to interview you as a guild member candidate."

Looking up in thought, Naruto nodded. "Oh yeah, that's right."

Feeling Erza's eyes trained on him, the blond looked down and noticed her staring at him intensely. He watched her for a moment before she spoke. "Do you have your answer yet?"

He looked at her cautiously. "To what?"

Rolling her eyes, Erza sighed patiently. "Honestly, you are so much like Natsu in some ways it's uncanny. I mean in regards to your entering the guild or not. You said at the time that you couldn't make that choice yet. Well, I'd say it's been plenty long enough for you to definitively say whether you want in or not."

Nodding slowly, Naruto ran his tongue along the underside of his top lip. Seeing him thinking, Erza decided to lay on a little pressure. "You have pretty much solidified yourself in the guilds heart as it is. Your efforts with Phantom Lord and Lullaby were impressive enough in themselves, but you have also managed to befriend a great number of our more significant mages."

She blushed lightly as she looked down. "You even... helped me with my own personal demons when no one else could. You have proven yourself a trustworthy man, and even if you don't join, you will forever have my gratitude. That would be easier to covey however, if you do decide to join..."

She trailed off and looked up at Naruto from under her fringe. Looking down at her, Naruto waited a little longer before sighing. Truthfully, he had already made his mind up, he just liked watching her suffer a little. Scratching his head, Naruto exhaled and nodded. "So who else wants me to join?"

Smiling slightly, Erza chuckled. "Who doesn't?" She began ticking off her fingers. "There's Levy, Jet and Droy for starters, Lucy definitely would love your company, Master Makarov would be relieved so he doesn't have to deal with your external problems, don't even get me started on Natsu and Gray, Cana wouldn't have a problem at all if the breakfasts you make her are as she describes..."

Erza smiled as she saw Naruto stick his tongue out a little and scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. "And then there's Mirajane. I don't think I have ever seen her so taken with another guild member before."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto repeated Erza. "Taken with me you say? But that's just how she is."

Shaking her head with a smile, Erza looked at Naruto. "I've known her long enough to know when she acts differently around someone."

Widening his eyes, Naruto leaned back on the rock behind him. "So, she... likes me, you say?"

The woman shrugged mysteriously. "Well, everyone likes you, how much though, that's not for me to really say."

Thinking over this new piece of information, Naruto grew silent as he rolled it around in his mind. A soft thump beside him made him look over as Erza lent back beside him. Looking into his eyes, she smiled. "So, what would your answer be?"

Looking back up to the sky, Naruto smiled. "Well... I suppose if you put it like that, I can't really say no can I? Especially after what the old man said to me yesterday."

Feeling a hand grip his arm gently, Naruto looked over to see grinning. "That is exactly what I was hoping to hear."

Pulling him from the wall, Erza took a few steps back. "Come on then, let's go formally induct you."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto let himself be dragged from his spot and pulled back towards the Town.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – well, there is the answer to one of a lot of your questions people. Looks like Naruto is finally a part of the guild._

_I do have a legitimate reason for the Ten Saints thing too. So either you just trust my judgment, or leave me a review and I'll clear it up for you._

_Now, on to the last chapter. People, do you know how many reviews you gave me? Over 175 reviews, that's how many and it blasted me WAY past the 1000 mark I was expecting. I honestly never expected I would ever get that many reviews for a single chapter, ever. So thank you all who reviewed so very, very much. Now, my last aim is to get this story into the 1000+ Naruto fanfic C2 and all my fanfiction goals will be complete._

_On a side note, if any of you like a good Bleach story, I have one for you. It's a character study on how Ichigo interacts with the world around him in a depth I have never read before. It takes you right deep into cannon and it completely blew my mind when I read it. It's called __Guardian by Eilwynn and I highly recommend it. Please go leave her a little review because she more than deserves it._

_So, after that massive authors note, I leave you to your lives until next time. _

_Lanky Nathan_


	16. Chapter 16

"YOU'RE WHAT?"

Grimacing, Naruto opened an eye a sliver after Natsu deafened the entire area with his outburst. Rolling his jaw around to pop his ears, the blond repeated himself. "I said that I decided I'd join the guild."

Screaming again in unrestrained excitement, Natsu began launching fireballs around the area and setting several nearby houses and shops on fire. When one rogue ball clipped one of the few new upright beams for the new guild, Erza finally stepped in and fixed things. It looked like a gentle enough tap to the head, but a crunch echoed throughout the street as Natsu was buried head first into the solid ground. Stepping over him as he tried to pull himself free, Erza motioned for Naruto to follow. "Come on, we're wasting time. We must find the Master."

Stepping over Natsu and silently chuckling to himself, Naruto followed the red head around the clean up area to the back of the guild. Looking around, the woman spotted Makarov directing a few mages and walked over.

Smiling widely as he saw her, Erza came to a stop and crossed her arms. "Master. I have some good news for you that you have been waiting to hear for a while. Naruto, if you would?"

Smirking, Naruto walked up to the old man and knelt down before him. "I decided I'll join the guild. You are a persuasive lot."

"Are you now?" Closing his eyes in thought, Makarov started speaking. "So you finally accepted hey? What about all the damage you're gonna cause and all the extra paper work I'm gonna have to fill out?"

Naruto grinned and rubbed a finger under his nose. "Oh, come on old man. You honestly think I can do more damage than Natsu, Erza and Gray combined?"

Naruto turned slightly as he heard a hum of agreement from behind. "He does have a point master. We three do have a pretty bad track record."

Hearing a sob, Naruto looked back down to see Makarov staring down at the ground despondently. "I know, Erza. I've been dealing with your messes for years now."

Hearing Naruto chuckle, Makarov sent him an annoyed glance. "Oi, do you want to be a part of this guild or not?"

The blond shrugged. "You heard what the Rune Knight said and what was written down in that magazine..." Trailing off for a moment, he shuddered. "Anything I do is gonna come right back here. Might as well make it official."

Sighing again, Makarov just waved a hand at Naruto and looked at the mass of rubble before him. "Fine. Go find Mira, she knows where the stamp is. Now shoo unless you want to help."

Smiling, Naruto turned to see Erza smiling right back at him. "Wonderful! Now to find Mirajane."

Walking from the old man as he started barking out orders, Erza pinched Naruto's shirt and pulled him towards the makeshift bar. Letting go, she pointed. "That's where we'll find her. You might want to think about what colour you want, as well as where you'd like it."

Naruto had his colour picked in a second. Where to put it though caused him a bit more trouble. Hearing the white haired waitress call out to them, he looked up. "What's up guys? Someone told me something interesting was about to happen, but wouldn't tell me what."

Naruto shot her a grin and wriggled his eyebrows. "Really now? Might it be that I decided to join the guild?"

The barmaid's eyes instantly widened in joy and she clapped her hands together a few times. "Really? Oh that is just wonderful! I'll go grab the stamp!"

Squealing, she spun around and began hunting through some of the salvaged objects behind the counter. She found it soon enough and reappeared, holding a large rectangular piece of wood with a little knob on the top. Flitting around to the customer side of the bench, she raised the stamp and smiled. "Alright, where do you want it?"

Looking around in thought, Naruto tried to think of a place. Seeing him pondering, Mirajane decided to help out. "Well, I have mine on my thigh like I said. Erza has hers on her shoulder, Lucy on the back of her hand, Gray on his chest, gosh; even one member has it on his tongue."

Hearing that last option, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "His tongue?"

The girl nodded. Naruto pursed his lips slightly. "That's a bit weird."

Hearing a chuckle, he looked over to Erza. "We have a diverse range of characters in our guild. That is just another example."

"Oi, Naruto!"

Hearing a shout, the blond turned to see Gray walking over in his boxers. "I overheard you decided to enter the guild."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, just trying to think about where I could get it."

Gray snickered. "You know, you could get it on your lower back as a tramp stamp."

Naruto gave him a flat look. "I'd rather not look like Fairy Tail's prostitute thank you very much."

Laughing, Gray slung an arm over Naruto's shoulder. "Eh, just a suggestion. Don't take it to heart."

"NASTY!"

The next thing Gray knew was the sense of flight as Naruto hurled him away in disgust. The blond cupped his hands to his mouth as the now naked teen disappeared over the rubble. "Quit hugging other men while naked!"

Turning back to the girls with an agitated tick mark above his eyebrow, Naruto ignored their giggling and ran through some options in his mind. 'So where could it go. Somewhere cool... I can certainly think of where Jiraiya-sensei would get it, although only women would be able to see it. Actually... hmmm.'

Looking up, Naruto held his hand palm out. "I wanna get it on my palm."

Raising her eyebrow, Mirajane looked at it. "Well, your hands are easily large enough, but why there?"

Naruto's face softened a bit as a nostalgic smile graced his lips. "Well, it'd kinda be a memento of my late teacher. He wrote on my palm to help me learn a technique, so I thought there would be a good place to have it."

Smiling as she nodded understandingly, Mirajane reached out and pressed the stamp into his palm. "Well, that's a plenty good enough reason. Now, what colour would you like?"

The blond didn't miss a heartbeat. "Orange!"

Giggling, the young woman focused some magic into the stamp and it glowed as it did its job. Pulling his hand back, Naruto studied the new insignia impressed into his skin. "Nice."

Covering her mouth with a hand, Mirajane gave him a mischievous smile. "I guess the Sorcerer magazine was right in calling you the 'Orange Rocket'."

The blond instantly bristled and sent her a dark glare. "That has to be the lamest thing anyone could have hoped to ever call me, and I've had some bad nicknames, dattebayo!"

Giggling, Mirajane walked back around to the service side of things. "I had an idea you wouldn't think too much of it."

Growling, Naruto crossed his arms. "Yeah, and if I ever meet the guy, I'll be sure to tell him just what I think of his stupid name."

The barmaid rolled her eyes as she put the stamp back in place. "Well you don't have to worry about that. Jason is fairly regular around here. He usually pops up every few months or so. He's one of Natsu's biggest fans."

Sighing, Naruto looked over to the boy as he glared in his direction, his gaze resting on Erza. It looked like he was still cranky over being buried. "Can't really say I can understand his motivation, but whatever."

Taking another look at his palm, his gaze then turned to Mirajane as she started speaking. "So what is the newest member of Fairy Tail going to do now?"

Naruto shrugged. "Well, I actually need to get in some training. I have a few things I wanna try work out."

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Naruto turned to see Erza giving him a smirk. "Well now, seeming you are the newest member of Fairy Tail, I think you should help with the clean up first before you do anything."

Sighing, Naruto nodded. "Oh good, I was scared for a moment you were going to say something else."

Crossing his fingers, Naruto let twenty or so clones pop into existence. He then heard several indignant shouts from other guild members, seeing the technique as a lazy way out. Merely giving them a cheerful smile and a wave, he ignored their answers and turned back to Erza. "That should cover me, yeah?"

Nodding approvingly, the red head beckoned to the clones to follow. "Indeed. You may go now."

Just as he was about to leave, he heard Mirajane call out to him. "Oh, Naruto? Could you please leave me Naruko? She's just such a dear and works so hard, not to mention everyone loves her."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto nodded and created two buxom blond barmaids for the woman. "Here you go. Just keep an eye on them."

Nodding cheerfully, Mira gave him a wave as he left before turning to her latest set of helpers.

XxXxXxX

Finding himself in his usual training ground just outside the city, Naruto removed his jacket as he finished his warm-up. Now ready, he looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers.

Ever since he fought Erigor back in Onibus station, the man's abilities had intrigued Naruto. He was a wind based mage, and yet he did things with his ability that Naruto had never seen a ninja do. Yeah, he'd seen people fly and levitate, but it had all been accomplished through a special ability or trait that the blond didn't have. What Naruto wanted was something like those wind based attacks, except in a way he could teach an average ninja. The technique that interested Naruto the most however, was Erigor's ability to fly.

Looking at his feet, Naruto reasoned there were two possible ways to go about this. The first was simply an extension of chakra control. Tree climbing was the most basic of those skill boosters, followed by water walking. Now, with tree walking being incredibly hard and the water walking being just as hard again, Naruto could only guess that air walking would be that hard _again _to learn. The other possibility, the one Erigor most probably used, was sustaining a consistent flow of wind underneath him to keep him afloat.

Considering that it'd probably be easier to start with what he already knew, Naruto focused on flowing chakra to his feet. "Alright... come on, let's get off the ground."

He slowly increased the chakra output, his smile growing as he felt something begin to happen. What he didn't expect to happen though was for the ground to explode from under him and send him flying a good twenty feet to land on his face. Groaning and rolling over, Naruto looked back at the crater he made and sweat dropped. 'Well, I suppose I should have expected that.'

Climbing to his feet, Naruto frowned as he thought over the first of many failures. 'Maybe I could try running. Worked for the tree.'

New idea in mind, Naruto started jogging, focusing chakra down into his feet as they touched down. Grinning as he felt himself start to jump higher, Naruto picked up pace.

His feet slapped into the ground, cracking it and pushing him further into the sky with every step. Laughing, Naruto waved his arms around a bit to stabilise himself in the air as he fell. Taking another step, the ground suddenly exploded under him, again. Not at all ready for the shock, Naruto was sent tumbling through the air with a surprised shout, completely out of control until he collided with a tree and slid down the trunk.

Landing in a sitting position, he ignored the ache in his back and cupped his chin with his index finger and thumb as he considered the latest trial. While fun, that was nothing more than an altered version of channelling chakra into one's legs to get that boosted jump so many ninja use. Looking at the hole he created and the multiple cracks around it, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he considered the damage. It looked a lot like what Tsunade-baachan did when she punched the ground, only nothing as impressive.

Standing, Naruto took a moment to think over that possibility. He remembered someone, Ero-Sennin or Tsunade, telling him that the way she hit so hard was releasing a shockwave of chakra the second her fist hit her target. Now, Naruto didn't have that kind of control in his hands, but attempting that into the ground shouldn't be too hard through his feet. Looking around to make sure he was in a relatively safe area, Naruto jumped away from the tree and built up chakra in his feet as he stretched his legs out.

The resultant boom rocked the earth around him as the ground collapsed beneath Naruto's feet. Chunks of earth rose up around him, multiple fissures shooting away from his point of impact. Hearing a distant cry of panic from the town after the light earthquake, Naruto sweat dropped and looked at his feet buried under large chunks of earth. Pulling his legs free, he decided that could wait until he was further away from people until he tried that again. It was still a pretty cool little trick though. Definitely worth looking into later.

Thinking back to his flight attempts, Naruto looked around as he tried to come up with an answer. Deciding to butt heads with himself, Naruto crossed his fingers and created three clones. "So, any ideas?"

Each adopted a thoughtful expression and began bouncing ideas from one to another. "Well, maybe you weren't running fast enough?"

Naruto shook his head at the clone. "No, I don't think that would matter."

"But what about the tree climbing? If you went fast you got higher."

A second clone piped up this time. "Maybe, but we gotta even get off the ground to begin with before we can run. Actually..."

Looking at each other, the Naruto's grinned. "Dur, we've been channelling chakra into the ground!"

Each then raised a foot and proceeded to push chakra down into their feet and in turn, into the air surrounding their feet. Each frowned in turn as they tried to mould the very air into something they could stand on. It took a couple of minutes, but soon enough one of the clones eyes lit up. "I can feel something!"

Grinning, it dispelled and transferred the knowledge around. Now armed with a starting base, the remaining blonds focused on trying to make that something a platform. It seemed like it was possible!

XxXxXxX

Looking around, Mirajane tried to spot a tuft of blond amongst the greens and browns of the landscape. "Naruto? Where are you?"

"THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!"

Hearing a thump, the woman smiled and rolled her eyes before making her way over towards the frustrated shout. Walking around a rock, her eyes widened as she surveyed the area. Holes and big chunks of earth sticking up out of the ground disrupted the serenity of the field, a number of large cracks between the craters almost breaking everything up into grids.

Hearing another thump, Mirajane turned to look at the rock she just came around and saw Naruto sitting down, frown on his face and his arms crossed. Folding her hands behind her, the barmaid walked into view. "Hey there. You having a few troubles?"

Looking up, Naruto's face relaxed when he saw his friend. "Oh, hey Mira-chan. Yeah, this stupid technique is being difficult."

Leaning down curiously, Mirajane raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Mind showing me?"

Grinning at the opportunity, Naruto jumped to his feet. "Yeah sure! Watch my feet."

He then began focusing and Mirajane watched it intently as his leg seemed to shiver a little bit. She saw him lean forward slightly but then he stopped. Nothing more happened for a while, so she looked up at Naruto. "Um, what's supposed to be happening?"

Just as she said that, Naruto suddenly pushed off into the air, almost like he was standing on a step. Gasping, Mirajane took a few steps back as she watched Naruto begin to sweat. "H-how are you doing that?"

Unfortunately, Naruto didn't have a chance to answer as he abruptly dropped to the ground before the earth erupted beneath his feet. Squealing in shock, Mirajane shielded her head as chunks of dirt rained down around her. When the soft plops of dirt stopped, she opened one eye tentatively and looked around. "Naruto?"

Hearing a grunt, the girl looked over and saw Naruto walking around from behind the rock looking quite grumpy. He shook his head and a couple stray clumps of dirt dropped from his hair. "I've been trying that for the last three hours! I got what I showed you down in like ten minutes, but I cannot get any further than that!"

Looking at the boy curiously, Mirajane pursed her lips. "So... what are you doing exactly? Are you flying?"

Naruto shrugged and dusted down his top. "Well, eventually I want to be able to, but for now it's more like standing on the air."

Blinking several times, Mirajane cocked her head. "Isn't that flying?"

Naruto shrugged. "I suppose. It's not what I want though so I'm not counting it."

"Ah." Turning her gaze back to the hole Naruto just created, the woman then turned her eyes back to the town. "I assume these are the reason we've been having a couple of small earthquakes today?"

Naruto nodded and walked over to his jacket. "Probably."

Frowning, Mirajane rested her hand on the rock. "So, how do you actually do it?"

Flapping his jacket, Naruto kicked off the dirt that had accumulated. "Chakra. What I do is push it down into my feet. It creates an attraction... or something. I dunno how it works to well, just how to do it. I stick to walls this way, float on water that way, and hopefully I'll be able to use it to stand on the air. It's just crazy hard."

Shaking her head disbelievingly, Mirajane sighed. "You must tell me more about this!"

Naruto looked up to the sky as he remembered something. "Yeah, Erza said she wanted to know about it too. I'll tell you at the same time."

Humming softly, Mira smiled as she watched Naruto pull his jacket on. Her eyes lit up in remembrance as her original mission came to mind. "Oh! Naruto, the reason I came out was because the Rune Knights need to talk with you and Master."

Looking over, Naruto gave her a flat look. "Right now? I'm kinda busy."

She smiled happily and nodded. "Yup! They just came back with the last group from questioning so it's your turn I suppose."

Sighing, Naruto zipped his front up and shook himself down. "I guess that explains why they sent you out here instead of Erza then."

Grumbling, Naruto looked at her. "Well, I dunno what else they need to know. I told 'em everything already."

The girl just shrugged and turned. "They don't tell us much, just who they need next."

Nodding begrudgingly, Naruto left his destroyed training ground and followed his messenger.

XxXxXxX

"You have both been summoned to the Council's Tower."

"WHAT?"

Copping an elbow to the thigh, Naruto looked down at the Master. "Shut up brat. Just follow their orders and everything will go smoother."

Crossing his arms, Naruto frowned and looked away. "I got training to do. This is just a waste of time. Besides, he said I could have until the end of three days before I had to say anything. This is unfair!"

The head Rune Knight stepped forward and sighed. It was still only the first day he had met the blond and already it was proving to be more than he was used to. "The time I gave you was merely what I granted you. I never said that's what the council gave you. Besides, it shouldn't take more than half a day to be completed, a day at most."

Motioning at the carriage behind him, the Knight closed his eyes and silently prayed that he wouldn't have to be stuck chasing the blond around the town again. Thankfully, this time he heard the grumbling voice pass him and then the creak of a body entering the door followed by a thump as it sat down. Letting out a breath, he looked down and saw Makarov looking up at him, smirking annoyingly.

Ignoring it, he motioned to the carriage. "Please, Master Makarov."

Nodding his head, the small man then walked to the carriage and crawled up the steps. Watching the door shut with finality, the Knight breathed a sigh of relief as the hardest part was completed. Waving at the driver, he heard a snap of reigns and with a whinny the horse drawn coach began pulling away. Let those higher mages deal with that boy for now.

XxXxXxX

Naruto sat with his elbow resting on the windowsill, chin in palm and a bored expression on his face. It hadn't seemed to have taken anything like this long when he hitched a ride with Erza. Turning to look at Makarov, Naruto yawned and shifted position. "So how much longer now?"

Opening an eye, the guild master sighed. "Still another hour or so. Not everything in this world is as fast as you."

Groaning, Naruto wriggled around uncomfortably. "I should just run there then and get it over with so I can get back home."

Opening both eyes, Makarov levelled a gaze at the blond. "You do realise you must take this atleast somewhat seriously. There are a good number of mages out there that would love the position you have been offered."

Naruto sighed. "But I don't even know what this is about! Like, do I get special privileges or something? Honestly, I can understand the idea of moving up through the ranks, that's all I strived for in my own world. I just can't see how this will help me get home."

Makarov nodded and looked out the window. "It is a position of great respect. To achieve this is almost like being in control of a whole guild, except that guild is yourself. In essence, that means you have a great deal more freedom in the actions you may perform, along with anything you do... like taking one's life for example."

Naruto's ears twitched when he heard this. "So, I wouldn't get in trouble for it then? Even outside the guild?"

Makarov shook his head. "Make no mistake, if you were to take an assassination mission, you would instantly have the entire magic council coming down on your head. Something like what you did to Jose though... they wouldn't run over you extensively like that are with everyone back at Fairy Tail."

Naruto looked away. "I still don't know why they're drilling you all. It was Jose that started it."

Makarov shrugged. "Whether he started it or not, guild wars are illegal. That's most probably what they are taking me in to talk about."

The old man seemed to grow quiet and pale slightly as he thought it over. "I really don't wanna do this but..."

Naruto snickered. "You're a bit of a scary cat, aren't you?"

Rolling his eyes, Makarov stuck his tongue out at the boy. "Just go to sleep or something and leave me in peace."

Chuckling, Naruto decided that it was still a pretty good idea and sliding down so he now lay of the seat, closed his eyes.

XxXxXxX

"Whoa..."

Blinking several times, Naruto looked around for a moment before yawning and stretching. Realising that voice must have been the drivers, the blond sat up and tried to rub the kink out of his neck. Yawning again, he had to squint his eyes as the doors were opened and sunlight rushed in. "We're here. If you would follow me."

Shading his eyes, Naruto waited for Makarov to climb out first before following. Looking around, the blond nodded as he checked out the building. It was definitely what he remembered as he ran from it, just not as gray. Tall, pointed peaks jutted up all across the roof, looking more like a castle than a council's meeting place. The odd window spotted across the walls didn't really help the image either. Looking down as he heard footsteps, he realised Makarov and the guild were drawing away. Jogging after them, Naruto realised it was another of those weird toad things that arrested Erza back after the whole Lullaby debacle.

Sliding his hands into his pockets, he settled into a stroll and checked out the surrounding area. It was very well kept, the hedges and trees all clipped to perfection and the grass was mowed perfectly flat. The path they were walking on didn't have a single blade of green on it, almost like there was a spell on it to keep the grass from venturing past the perfectly straight edge of it. Walking in the massive doors, Naruto nearly bumped into Makarov when both he and the guide stopped abruptly. Turning, the frog bowed to the both of them and spoke. "Master Makarov, if you would please come with me, you will be seen first. Honourable 'Orange Rocket', if you would wait in one of those seats, you will be seen shortly once Makarov has been attended to."

Instantly bristling, Naruto growled darkly and held up a fist. "I am NOT 'Orange Rocket'! Tell your leaders that my name is Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo! I will not be called something so unimaginative!"

Not moving from the bow, the toad clearly had dealt with people like Naruto before. "No disrespect intended. That was all we knew you by. I shall inform the council members of your true name."

Crossing his arms and huffing, Naruto nodded approvingly. The guide and Makarov then turned and began walking, but paused when Naruto called out. "Oh, how long might Makarov's thing take?"

The old man sighed while the guide turned and bowed again. "I am not sure. It could be anything from an hour, to six. Anything you need until then will be taken care of by the staff. Now if there are no more questions, I will take my leave. The council members are waiting."

Not quite used to such politeness, Naruto just stared at the bowed toad before realising it was waiting for an answer. "Uh, no, that's all."

Rising from its bow, it nodded at Naruto and then turned and began walking off down the corridor; Makarov following closely. Waiting until they had left, Naruto then turned and looked around the room.

It was a relatively simple waiting room, a couple of pictures hung on the walls of some important looking people, a pot plant in the corner, a few seats and a rug in the middle. Honestly, it looked exactly like Tsunade-baachan's office, except the roof was like three times as high. Putting his hands on his hips, Naruto looked around before blowing a raspberry. "Well this is boring. Might as well put those grounds outside to some use and train."

XxXxXxX

"Uzumaki Naruto! Please if you can hear me, respond!"

Looking up from the ground, Naruto pulled himself to his feet and dusted himself down. "Yeah, over here. What's up?"

The toad guide looked around the area with wide, disbelieving eyes as it surveyed the damage. Holes and cracks covered the earth, destroying the once pristine grass. The toad could only be thankful that the blond had chosen to do... whatever caused this as far away from the council building as possible. Recovering from the mild shock, the toad bowed and addressed the blond. "The council will now see you. Um, would you like a shower and perhaps a change of clothes before seeing the council?"

Looking down at himself, Naruto sweat dropped as he saw the dirt stained jacket and grass stained pants. He could guess he probably stunk a little too. He had been out here for quite some time. Scratching his head in mild embarrassment, he chuckled. "Yeah, that might be a good idea."

Nodding approvingly, the toad then turned and began walking briskly back towards the building. "We must hurry then, you are due to be seen in thirty minutes."

XxXxXxX

Stepping out of the shower, Naruto shook his hair. He always did love the feeling of wet hair flapping around. Summoning up a bit of chakra, Naruto ignored the towel provided and adopted the Ram seal before blowing all the water that was on him onto the bathroom walls. Having already sealed his gear, Naruto looked at the clothes provided and raised an eyebrow.

Sliding the long sleeved shirt on, Naruto was surprised to find that once settled, it seemed to shift about on his body as it shrunk to fit him. It wasn't orange, but a nice pale cream and was light and breathable. A couple of dark stripes ran lengthways down the front of it from the shoulders to hips, but outside of that was rather plain.

Pulling the pants on, the blond then grabbed at his crotch as a very awkward sensation rushed over that area as the clothing shifted around to fit him. Once finished, Naruto let go and looked down. They were a darker cream pair of slacks that contrasted well with the shirt. The shoes too were the same colour of the pants, no laces needed as they, like the rest of his new clothing, adjusted to fit him.

Giving himself a once over in the full body mirror, Naruto shrugged acceptingly. It was pretty boring in contrast to his usual gear, but not too bad. If they let him keep it though, he'd have to ask Mira-chan or one of the other girls if they could sew some colours onto it to liven things up. Tucking the scroll containing his clothes into the back of his pants, Naruto sighed. "Time to get this over with."

Opening the door, Naruto stepped out and raised an eyebrow when he saw the guide bowed before him. "Were you waiting that whole time for me to come out?"

The toad nodded from the bent position. "Indeed. We must hurry."

'That's not creepy at all...' Still, Naruto turned and followed the guide as it led him from the showers and down a large hall. Looking around, the blond remembered this from when he had woken up in Erza's pocket. Same enormous pillars, cubes and spheres. Hearing his guide's footsteps stop, Naruto looked down to see it motioning a webbed hand towards a deep mahogany door. "If you would please enter, the council will see you now."

Nodding, Naruto thanked the toad and pushed on the doors. They were quickly pulled open from the inside by another set of toads, each dressed in identical robes. Looking at them curiously, Naruto walked forward and looked around the room.

It was fairly big and situated around the walls about five or so meters up, sat the council members. The small pedestal sat in the middle of the room in clear view of the men and women hidden in the shadows, elevated slightly from the ground. Stepping up to it, Naruto waved at the council. "You called?"

Hearing a snort and a muttering of, "Disrespectful youths" from one of the older men, Naruto ignored it and leant on the wooden railing before him. Another voice, equally as old sounding but with a bit more humour in it then addressed him. "Uzumaki Naruto, I believe. How nice of you to join us without breaking this time."

Naruto shrugged. "First impressions and all that. Thanks for having me."

The man nodded. "Indeed. We shall proceed to business now if that suits you."

Seeing Naruto nod, an older and much more serious looking mage stepped into the light and began speaking. "I am Guran Doma. I am the Spokesperson of the council and you have been brought here in light of your more recent achievements."

Saying nothing, Naruto just watched the elderly man keenly. He was a tall man with a serious face and a rather long, gray beard that came halfway down his chest. A purple wizard's hat sat on his head and a long purple-red cape flowed down from his shoulders, the collar fastened just under his collarbones with a golden broach. Bandages seemed to completely cover his torso and arms, even coming all the way down to wrap around his hands and fingers. Beneath that seemed to be a long set of pants that disappeared down behind the wooden barrier.

"Uzumaki Naruto, your involvement with the Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail guild war seemed to be pivotal in the outcome. Under normal circumstances, we would have taken you in for extensive questioning seeing you didn't seem to affiliate yourself with any known guild. You will find yourself lucky that information regarding your attachment to Fairy Tail was brought to light."

Naruto's poker face held true, but he silently thanked that Jason fellow for the rumour because the blond did not feel like searching for home with this lot breathing down his neck the whole time.

"When we received news that Jose Porla of the Ten Wizard Saints had died, we were in a state of unrest because the powers were now unbalanced. We have still yet to determine the exact cause of death, so if you would further inform us of his passing you will have helped us a great deal."

Looking around the men and women cautiously, Naruto decided he didn't want to reveal everything he could. "Well... I fought him and it came down to one final show of strength. My own attack gets pretty bright so I couldn't see much within it. When me 'n' Makarov found him but, he had a massive gash on his head and was lying face down in the water. He probably drowned."

Falling quiet, Naruto's eyes gauged the mages facial expressions but found them to be an unrevealing as ever. The shadows hiding the majority of their faces didn't help either. Neither side spoke for a moment until the council head took lead. "Very well, that seems to be accurate enough. If you do remember anything in the future though, do please come and inform us of this."

Naruto just nodded and stayed silent. Something told him he didn't want to give them too much information about anything. Seeing the motion, the mage continued. "So this brings us to our next discussion point. My fellow council members deemed it necessary to elect another mage for the Ten Wizard Saints to maintain balance. Until then, they requested that you would hold the spot temporarily. You seem to possess the required strength and battle prowess for such a position. If found within all requirements however, you may be asked to stay as a permanent position. So what says you?"

Watching as the man grew still, Naruto tried to work out what was going on here. It didn't seem to add up, what with them not even knowing his real name until today. He also couldn't see them forgetting him crashing Erza's trial any time soon. Reading underneath the underneath like he had been taught, Naruto saw that this could very well be a rouse to keep tabs on him because he was an unknown variable. However, the old saying goes, 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'. He didn't know what the council was to him yet, but this could almost favour him more than it did them. So taking a breath, Naruto nodded slowly. "Alright... for the moment I'll do it."

Seeing a number of small smiles, Naruto internally nodded as his theory was strengthened. Stepping forward, Guran Doma raised a hand out towards the blond. "Good. With that then, I bestow upon you, Uzumaki Naruto, the title of temporary Wizard of the Ten Saints!"

XxXxXxX

Walking from the meeting room, Naruto found Makarov waiting patiently outside. The old man was perched on top of a granite cube, his legs crossed and eyes closed. Upon hearing the doors open, he slipped one eyelid up and watched as Naruto strolled out. "So how did it go?"

Shrugging, Naruto put his hands behind his head as his new clothes didn't have any pockets. "Alright I suppose."

Waiting for Naruto to elaborate, Makarov raised an eyebrow as Naruto began to shiver. It eventually popped out as a wide grin crossed his face. "And yeah, I accepted it! Ha, wait till Natsu and Erza hear about this!"

Despite the fact things didn't seem to add up, Naruto couldn't help but still feel giddy over the promotion. No it wasn't exactly what he had been aiming for, it wasn't even in the right world, but acknowledgment was acknowledgment and even if it wasn't quite transparent as to the exact reason, it still felt pretty damn good.

He allowed himself a little victory jump and click of the heels as his eyes crunched up. "What do you say about that?"

He heard the old man chuckle and he opened his eyes. "I say well done. I don't know any mages who have ever reached such a position at such a young age."

Frowning, Makarov then scratched his head in thought. "Come to think of it, how old _are_ you exactly?"

Naruto raised his eyebrows. Funnily enough, he hadn't told anyone yet. "Sixteen."

It was Makarov's turn to raise his eyebrows, as well as widen his eyes when he heard the age. "Honestly? Only sixteen?"

Naruto nodded, not quite understanding the fuss. "Why, what's wrong with that?"

Makarov shook his head. "Nothing, it's just that I could have placed you at atleast twenty, twenty two even. You have a certain maturity about you that makes you seem older than you are."

Naruto shrugged. "Well, in my business, you gotta grow up fast or you die. I was only thirteen when I fought my first life and death battle."

Makarov frowned. "That seems awfully young to be exposed to something like that."

Naruto shrugged again. "My world is different to this one. We grow up faster because there's more danger."

Sighing, Makarov nodded and rubbed his eyes. "I suppose so. I'll never fully grasp that though."

Turning, he began walking back down the hall. A guide seemed to appear out of nowhere, bow and then begin leading Makarov away. "Well, I want to get a little bit of free food before we head home. Coming?"

Feeling the pit in his stomach, Naruto grinned and nodded. He wasn't one to pass up a meal like that.

XxXxXxX

Naruto pulled at what looked like a fried chicken with his teeth and found it to be rather good. Quickly devouring that alongside the various greens, Naruto dropped the plate onto the other twelve or so and raised a hand as he called for another plate. The attendant was again one of the toads that worked here, indistinguishable from the rest of them. It walked forward numbly, not quite able to comprehend just how much food this teen seemed to be consuming. Placing a bowl of broth before him, Naruto's eyes lit up in glee and drool began slipping from his lips as he realised what it was.

Hesitantly dipping his chopsticks in, he lifted the bowl to his mouth and took a bite. Joy instantly lit up his face as a tear slid down his cheek, the blond moaning in bliss as the tastes filled his mouth. Who would have guessed they even knew what this dish was in this world? It had seemed like forever since his last bowl, but now was never a better time for a good feast of ramen.

Polishing it off in seconds, Naruto held it up high and looked at the attendant excitedly. "Please, please get me another bowl of ramen! That was absolutely delicious!"

Nodding, the attendant rushed away, Naruto calling after it, "Actually, can you get me other four?"

Hearing a squeak in reply, Naruto settled himself down into the chair happily and burped contentedly as he began digesting some of what he had gorged himself on. Makarov had left earlier, his excuse being he felt sick from watching all the food disappear into Naruto. Closing his eyes, Naruto rested his hands on his slightly swollen stomach and waited. What he didn't expect though was to hear a chair scraping as it was pulled out and a body to drop into it. Prying an eye open, Naruto was surprised to see an incredibly attractive, dark haired woman leaning on her hand with a small smile on her face as she watched him.

Opening both lids so he could get a better look, Naruto let his eyes quickly wander. On second glance, her black hair seemed to have a purple tinge through it. Two straight locks hung down her front, ending about mid way down her rather sizable chest. She wasn't built quite like Tsunade-baachan, but she was certainly endowed with plenty more than the average girl. The rest of her hair hung down her back, the weight of it indicating it probably finished about her lower back. As for clothing, she had a pure white kimono on that had a gold sash tied around her middle, greatly accentuating her already rather generous curves.

Remembering where most girls preferred to be looked at, Naruto raised his eyes and studied her face. Her dark brown eyes gave away nothing except a hint of amusement, most probably having caught the blond giving her a once over. Her pale skin was contrasted by bright red lipstick that really drew the eyes down. She seemed to know once he was done looking when she spoke up, "Uzumaki Naruto. It really is a pleasure to meet you."

She then extended one delicate hand, reaching for a shake. Quickly wiping his own on his pants, Naruto grasped it and found her grip to be nearly as strong as Makarov's. Releasing it, she tucked her hand back under her other arm and gave him a smile. "Want to go for a walk?"

Eyes widening, Naruto looked at the woman in surprise. He had met her for all of twenty seconds, didn't even know her name and already she was asking him out for a walk? Hearing the footsteps of the attendant, Naruto looked up eagerly. "Just let me finish these last bowls first."

Smiling as the attendant dropped the bowls with a huff, the blond smiled up at him thankfully before tucking in. Devouring the first bowl in the space of a minute, Naruto reached for the next bowl before looking at his company. "So, what's your name? You already know mine somehow."

Raising an eyebrow and allowing her smile to widen slightly as Naruto slurped up the noodles, she nodded. "My name is Ultear. Ultear Milkovich."

Straining to swallow a slightly larger than expected mouthful, Naruto let out a breath before smiling back at the woman. "Nice to meet you! So, have I met you anywhere or..."

Trailing off, Naruto popped another bowl in front of himself and began tucking in as he waited for her to reply. "No, you haven't officially met me. You see, I'm actually a part of the council so I was there when you interrupted Erza Scarlet's trial, as well as just now."

Struggling not to spray her with food, Naruto pounded his chest and cleared his airways. "You mean to say you're on the council? But you're so young! Everyone I could see was like a hundred! How old are you?"

She tapped her nose and winked at him. "Didn't your parents ever tell you that it was impolite to ask a lady her age?"

Blinking, Naruto shook his head. "Well... no sorry, I didn't have any parents to tell me anything. I was an orphan."

In that moment, Naruto could swear he saw something flash behind the woman's calm exterior, something Naruto definitely recognised. It was gone just as quickly as it appeared however and was covered nicely with an apologetic smile and closed eyes. "Oh really? I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I can understand your predicament though, not having any parents."

Finishing off his last bowl, Naruto looked at Ultear curiously. "You're an orphan too?"

She shrugged. "In a sense. Enough about this though, let's talk about happier things! You're now done I assume, unless you wish to create more work for our chefs?"

Chuckling as he watched the poor attendants carrying back bowl after bowl, he shook his head and stretched. "Nah, I'm alright now. Where do you wanna go?"

As she stood, Naruto noticed with interest that her kimono was rather short, finishing only about halfway down her thighs and revealing a great deal of toned legs. Pulling himself up, Naruto followed the woman as she wandered outside. "Oh, nowhere in particular. Just a walk around the gardens."

Raising his hands behind his head, Naruto shrugged. "Suits me."

They then walked out, following the path as it wove its way through the greenery that surrounded the building. They didn't say much, merely content in each other's presence as they watched the birds and insects zipping around the bushes and pruned trees. After a while, they came upon a stone bench at which Ultear sat down on, patting the spot beside her with a warm smile. Blinking several times, Naruto grinned and slipped down beside her. This was certainly taking some interesting directions.

Placing her hands on her lap, she smiled up at the slightly taller teen. "So, care to tell me a little about yourself? I haven't heard much at all about you, so I thought I'd take the time out to get to know you."

While flattered that a woman this beautiful was interested in him, Naruto could still feel something telling him he shouldn't trust her fully. "Well, I dunno, what do you wanna know?"

She shrugged. "Oh, anything really. What do you do for fun?."

Naruto nodded. Fair question. "Well, I got two pass times I really like. Pulling pranks is probably my favourite 'cause honestly, people's reactions after they get pranked is just gold! I can't get enough of it. I also like keeping plants and watering them. It's relaxing."

Chuckling quietly, Ultear raised a thin eyebrow. "Those are two rather different interests. You seem like a bit of a diverse person."

Naruto shrugged. "Eh, whatever keeps me occupied I suppose. How about you? What do you like doing?"

The woman widened her eyes slightly and smiled. "Oh, I didn't think you'd be interested in me!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and snorted in amusement. "Ha, what gave you that idea?"

Ultear shrugged. "Oh, you'd be surprised. Well, I like thing's I don't know. Information on people that I haven't yet met interests me, hence the reason I'm now with you."

Naruto scratched his cheek in mild surprise as the girl basically said she was interested in him. "Well, I wasn't really expecting that, but thanks, I guess?"

The raven haired beauty just gave him a coy wink. "My pleasure. So what kind of foods do you enjoy?"

Naruto instantly brightened. "Ramen! Food of the gods right there. Please say you like it too?"

Ultear chuckled. "Well, while not my favourite I certainly don't mind a bowl or two here and there. That ok by you?"

The blond grinned. "Sure is! I haven't met too many people who like it as much as me so I kinda expected that."

Humming softly, Ultear looked at his smiling face. "You're very bright aren't you?"

Naruto replied as Naruto would. "Huh?"

Giggling, the woman waved her hand. "I meant you are very happy! You haven't stopped smiling the whole time we've been talking. Or is it just because of me...?"

Trailing off, she watched Naruto's reaction. He paused and looked at her for a moment before grinning. "Well, I'm normally pretty happy but meeting a pretty lady like yourself always helps the mood."

Smiling, Ultear gently slapped his arm. "You tease. So, do you have anything you're looking to in the future? Any goals or something similar?"

Naruto remained quiet for a moment as he pondered what to say. He didn't want to reveal he was from another dimension, so saying he wanted to be Hokage was out. Considering his answer, he nodded as he came to a conclusion. "Hmmm, well, I suppose a goal of mine is to be acknowledged by everyone and prove I'm not a waste of space."

Nodding happily, Ultear placed a delicate hand on Naruto's arm. "That is a good goal there! I guess today is a pretty big achievement then?"

Naruto laughed embarrassedly and scratched his head. "Well, yeah it really is. It feels good to know people respect you enough to give you something like that."

The woman's smile seemed to turn inward slightly as Naruto laughed. "Indeed, it is a good feeling."

Removing her hand, she twisted on the seat and faced Naruto. "Uzumaki, there is something I actually brought you out here to tell you."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto focused. "Just call me Naruto. But yeah, I'm listening."

Closing her eyes, Ultear smiled. "Naruto then. My talk with you actually has something to do with the reason the council elected you as the stand in Wizard of the Ten Saints. It wasn't something they were going to tell you, but I thought you should know this."

Frowning slightly, Naruto wondered why this woman was willing to indulge him so much. Curious nonetheless, he leant in. "I'm listening."

XxXxXxX

_A/N well all, here is the latest chapter. Blame work and a mild case of writers block for the length of time for the update._

_On another note, I just got two back to back chapters of over 100 reviews! Now that feels pretty cool people. On top of that, I also topped 225'000 hits and 51 C2's. Do you know how much love that equals? A truck load, that's what. So thank you all again for all the amazing feedback and continuing support._

_I think there was something else I wanted to mention, but I forgot. Eh, if it comes to me later I'll update the chapter. _

_Lanky Nathan_


	17. Chapter 17

Ultear seemed to ponder her statement for a moment. That just made Naruto even more curious as the wait for the answer began to drag on. He sat as patiently as possible though and was eventually rewarded with a small smile. "The council, they see something interesting in you."

Naruto looked at her, expecting more. She didn't say anything though which forced Naruto to ask, "Um, so is that it?"

Shaking her head, the woman then decided to continue. "There was more behind that statement than what I just said, so let me elaborate. You are an interesting person, Naruto. Never has someone blatantly disrespected them in their presence, let alone twice. You seem to hold no fear towards them and their position despite having no solid information on how powerful they are. Some people would say that's ignorance but I believe it's more than that. We also have no information on you, not even your name. The council is always on the lookout for people of great power like yourself and for you to have avoided detection for so long is quite the accomplishment. Thus, the council is interested in you."

As the woman spoke, Naruto could feel his ego inflating, but at the same time realise his theory was turning into fact. They were openly admitting he was super strong, but at the same time they saw him as an unknown variable.

Ignoring his mind for the moment though, he refocused on Ultear. "They wish to test your strength to gauge just how powerful you are in relations to the other Ten Saints. They want to know what someone so young can do that can force a former Wizard of the Ten Saints to the brink of his powers like you did with Jose Porla. I especially am interested in this, as I find you so very intriguing."

Focusing just enough on Ultear's almost predatory expression to give her the justified response, Naruto retreated into his own thoughts again. 'So, if I can read this right, they aren't just cautious of me, they are bordering on scared. That definitely sounds like something older people in power would do. Ultear-san however... what's her deal?'

Leaning back slightly from the woman, Naruto almost shivered from the thin eyed, hungry look she was giving him as she leant in. He didn't even know if she knew she was doing it. It made her look incredibly sexy, but it also begged Naruto to wonder about her. 'She says the council is scared of me. Why isn't she scared then, or at the very least cautious? Right now she looks like she could eat me up. There's gotta be something more to her than simply being a council member.'

Clearing his throat, Naruto watched in fascination as Ultear gracefully slid back into her reserved state, looking for all the world like she wasn't about to jump on him and tear the answers she wanted right out of him. As she looked at him expectantly, Naruto considered what he should ask. "Well... why did you tell me all this? I mean, there was no need for me to know all the reasons behind it right?"

Raising an eyebrow and licking her lips slightly, Ultear chuckled softly. "You are sharper than you let on. That's a good trait to have if you are ever formally included in the Ten Saints. No, there wasn't a need to tell you this, but I did because I wanted you to know the councils motives. I wanted you to know why they were going test you. I wanted you to be aware of them."

Naruto's eyes thinned slightly. "Really... won't you get in trouble for this though?"

Sitting up straighter, an almost haughty look crossed her lidded eyes. "Why would I get in trouble for something like this? I am a member of the council! I may do as I wish so long as it doesn't directly influence anything the council has or is going to decide. My telling you this has no effect on them."

Naruto regarded the woman for a moment. Something was not quite right with her explanation but for some reason, Naruto could not pin point the problem. "So what does that mean for you? What will you get out of this? It's rare that someone simply gives out information just 'because'."

Ultear's eyes took on a calculating look as she gazed upon the blond. It passed shortly and was replaced by a warm smile. "Why, because you interest me, Uzumaki Naruto. I merely wish to get to know you and have you as an ally considering how powerful you are. You never do know when you would need a friend to call on, and I would most love to have you as that friend. I do hope you remember me as a friend to call on if you are ever in a spot of bother too."

That instantly took away a lot of the built up resistance to the woman that had risen. Despite his caution of her, she wanted to be his friend, someone who she could call on in a time of need. It didn't matter who it was, if they wished to befriend the blond, he accepted them with open arms. Feeling an unbidden smile tug at his lips, he let his gaze soften slightly. "Well, if you're looking for a friend to count on, you can definitely count on me. No matter who they are, if my friends need help, I'd go to hell and back for them."

Her smile widened more at Naruto's deceleration and she nodded happily. "That is wonderful to hear!"

Standing, she bowed her head slightly. "I look forward to working with you in the future then. For now though, let's get you back to the council building. You must receive a badge of recognition for being inducted into the Ten Saints."

Letting a true smile break through, Naruto jumped up grinning like a loon. "Hell yeah! Show me the goods!"

Laughing, the mysterious woman then began walking from him, looking over her shoulder ever so slightly as he began to follow.

XxXxXxX

Naruto tugged at the fabric the badge was now attached to, located just beneath his collar and a little to the right. It was a beautiful little piece of work, amazingly well crafted and incredibly rare. It was a perfect circle with a royal blue background. Over the top of that was an embossed silver cross, the 'X' meeting perfectly in the center. What looked like the leaves of a clover poked out from the center piece, one leaf for each quadrant the badge was split into. A ring of silver encompassed them, separating them from the interlinked diamonds that circled the edge of the piece. All in all it was stunning, a true piece of skilled workmanship.

Letting it go, Naruto stood up a little straighter in front of the council, a smile tugging the edges of his mouth repeatedly. Ultear stepped back after fixing the badge as the Spokesperson and one or two other council members watched on from behind them. The actual giving of the badge didn't require all council members present as the title had already been given. Most had already left to go do councillor things, but the few that remained clapped softly as Naruto's eyes thinned in joy.

Taking Ultear's place, the Spokesperson stepped forward and locked eyes with the shorter blond. "I do hope you understand the prestigious position you have been given. May you honour the title well."

Raising a hand, Naruto saluted the old man heartily. "You can count on me!"

Not a facial muscle twitched despite Naruto's unorthodox acceptance and Guran stepped back. "Very well. You will hear from us in the coming weeks. Until then, I wish you safe travels."

Naruto saw Ultear's smile widen fractionally when the tall man vaguely hinted at what was to come. Ignoring it, Naruto nodded. "Take it easy till then old man."

This managed to produce a widening of the eyes from the senior mage, but anything else he felt about the lack of respect was kept in check. Nodding once, the man said no more and simply turned and slipped away. The other members disappeared as well, leaving behind only Ultear, Naruto and Makarov. A guide seemed to materialise from somewhere too but that went by without comment.

Looking down at the Master, Naruto finally let his blinding grin breakthrough while he pointed animatedly at the badge. "Look at this! Look at it! Old man, isn't it awesome! I totally can't believe this!"

Sweat dropping at the boisterous blond, Makarov waved a hand at him, trying to calm him. "Yes, yes, yes, I can see that Naruto. Well done, but we really must leave now if we want to reach home by nightfall."

Realising the afternoon was indeed late, the boy looked to his newest, if most mysterious friend and scratched his head. Smiling widely, he chuckled. "Well, I'll see you around I hope? Don't be a stranger ok? You should come out to Fairy Tail sometime!"

Ultear smiled and nodded slightly. "I will if time permits Naruto. Keep yourself out of trouble in the meantime, ok?"

Naruto shrugged. "Eh, I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

Laughing into a hand, the woman bowed her head slightly and turned as she took her leave. Watching her slide away, Naruto felt a nagging itch along his jaw line. Scratching it, he looked down and saw Makarov looking up at him, a most perverse smile on his face. "You sure work fast don't you?"

Naruto poked a thumb at himself and closed his eyes proudly. "I'm just awesome. Don't hate me for it."

Hearing a bark of laughter, Naruto looked down and saw Makarov shaking his head in amusement. "My boy, I actually think I'm rather envious of you."

Walking through the door, Naruto stepped into pace beside the old man. A memory flickered in the blond's eye as they made their way to the carriage and he looked down. "So, what did they wanna talk to you about?"

XxXxXxX

Naruto considered his current predicament as he tried to hold off the growing number of rather loud bodies that were piling up on his chest. Having walked into the makeshift guild, everyone within eyeshot saw his badge and promptly jumped him for details. The word spread fast and within moments, Naruto had over twenty mages dog piling him into the ground.

Mirajane was one of the first to see the badge but unfortunately didn't get a chance to say anything to the blond before he disappeared under the human pile. Once the numbers started slowing, she walked over cautiously and called out over the rabble on top of the teen. "You ok under there Naruto?"

A muffled voice replied. "That you, Mira-chan?"

The barmaid giggled. "That it is. Would you be a dear and come out? I have something to give you."

Hearing another muffled reply, Mirajane stepped back as the mound of bodies shifted. Slowly, people began popping up from the top of the mound, all looking very surprised as they were pushed to the surface. Eventually from the middle of the eruption popped Naruto. Not caring where he trod, Naruto walked down the tangled pile of limbs and bodies and came to a stop in front of the short woman. "What is it?"

Smiling, she shook her head. "Close your eyes."

The boy raised an eyebrow, but complied never the less. He waited a moment before something soft and warm pressed against his cheek. A light flush reached his cheeks as he realised what was happening. The wolf whistles and cat calls that accompanied the sensation only furthered his feeling of manliness. A grin quickly followed when a pair of arms slipped around his middle and replaced the kiss with a tight hug. Opening his eyes, he found himself looking into the deep blue eyes of his favourite waitress as she stunned him with a dazzling smile. Dipping her head into his chest, she let out a squeal of excitement and hugged him tighter. "I cannot believe that you managed to _actually_ get a position amongst the Ten Wizard Saints! For someone so young it's just unheard of! I cannot comprehend it! I... I'm totally lost for words!"

Placing his hands on his hips like the hero he felt he was, Naruto just pointed his nose to the sky and laughed out loud. "Don't even try and comprehend the unmatched majesty of Uzumaki Naruto! Your brain will explode from the awesomeness."

The statement brought a round of laughter from the guild as everyone doubled up at his bragging. Grinning mischievously, Naruto's eyes twinkled as he watched everyone break down. Hearing a call louder than the rest, the blond saw Natsu struggling to pull himself free of the body pile that once rested on his chest. Realising the object of his desire was watching him, Natsu literally blew up, sending mages flying across the room. "NARUTO! NO EXCUSE, FIGHT ME NOW!"

Laughing as the teen held up a challenging fist, Naruto sighed half-heartedly but conceded nevertheless. "Well sure, why not? A good spar would make for an interesting end to the day."

The guild quietened for a split second before the whole room exploded into noise as the mages all began shouting excitedly at the prospect. Naruto began walking towards the exit before a mighty feminine voice roared above the rest. "NARUTO!"

Instantly everyone quietened as the strongest female in all of Fairy Tail walked forward, an uncharacteristic glint in her eyes. Everyone watched her mutedly as she walked up to Naruto. Stopping barely a foot from him, she looked up into his eyes and placed her hands on her hips. They then began a staring contest that seemed to freeze the guild in time. Eventually though, Erza broke it when she smirked excitedly. "Naruto, once done with Natsu, I request that you fight with me also."

If the guild had been loud when Natsu called for a fight, it was now deafening. Naruto's grin and nod of acceptance only further raised the volume as sudden surprise betting rounds began to take form. Naruto also saw a few other guild members sizing him up such as Elfman, Gray and Cana even, so he held up a hand and tried to call out over the noise. "Tomorrow! Wait until tomorrow!"

While he didn't think they actually heard him, they could atleast understand the gesture and nodded. An excited hand then grabbed his new shirt and began dragging him towards the door. Laughing as Natsu looked back at him eagerly, Naruto began to run as he followed the mage.

XxXxXxX

Finding himself at Southgate Park again, Naruto looked up at the tree that Levy, Jet and Droy had been attached to. The scar marks on the bark has all but been removed so no one had any prompts to remember that horrible day. Letting his vision slowly pan down, he looked at the large group that now surrounded him and Naruto. They were all cheering loudly in the growing shadows of twilight, each person's face lit up in excitement. Turning to look back at Natsu, Naruto was happy to see him squatting down stretching his legs out. Following suit, Naruto gently eased his muscles into limber and shook himself out as he readied for the mage.

Once finally ready, Natsu looked over and grinned. "Alright! I'm totally gonna kick your ass so get ready for it! Oh and this time, don't go sticking your fingers up my butt!"

A number of loud barks of laughter filled the air as a few mages remembered Natsu telling them of his first loss to the blond ninja. Erza had decided to ref the match and was watching on keenly. Checking both participants, she nodded before bringing her hand down in a sharp chop. "Begin!"

Naruto didn't have to wait for anything as Natsu instantly commenced the attack. Again he attacked recklessly, wild and powerful punches flying in from all conceivable angles, desperately looking for a break in Naruto's defence. There was none to be found however and Naruto grinned as he pushed back.

Sliding through a hammer fist from the dragon slayer, Naruto found himself nose to nose with the teen and grinned as he saw Natsu's eyes widen. Gripping his overcoat, Naruto pivoted on the balls of his feet and flung Natsu over his shoulder directly at the big tree. The fiery mage easily righted himself as expected though, his feet touching down solidly on the bark before pushing off powerfully. He cried out in excitement as he flew towards Naruto, his fist raised and encased in a large flame.

Chuckling as the boy shot towards him, Naruto merely took several steps back and watched on in amusement as the mage literally buried himself deep into the ground. When the dust cleared, Naruto chuckled when he saw Natsu's legs kicking around as he tried to pull his head from the solid dirt. Walking over, Naruto grabbed one leg and easily pulled the teen from the earth. Laughing as he spat out a few rocks, Naruto gave him a helpful shake to remove any stubborn clumps of dirt. Lifting him up to see his eyes, Naruto smirked. "Ready to give up?"

Natsu just grinned widely and exploded into flame in response. "Not even! I'm just getting warmed up!"

An unsuspected kick then smashed into Naruto's head sending him careening away into the rapidly scattering crowd. Bouncing a few times, Naruto managed to anchor a hand into the ground and pulled himself to a stop. Rubbing his cheek as a bruise rapidly formed, Naruto chuckled as he eyed the still flaming mage. It hadn't been long since that first fight, but he could definitely tell Natsu had grown stronger since then.

Standing up, Naruto ignored his aching cheek and smirked. Attacking Natsu this time, Naruto forced the boy to defend, pushing him just hard enough so that he was struggling to move fast enough to dodge and block the strikes. Despite the hectic pace, Natsu managed to hold off Naruto for nearly a full twenty seconds before a palm thrust to his sternum sent him tumbling backwards in a cloud of dust.

Knowing the boy still had more to give, Naruto jumped high in the air and extended his feet as he aimed to land on him. The height of the jump was enough that Natsu could escape, but still fast enough that he would be pushed to make it in time. Grinning as he saw the flame mage widened his eyes in shock, Naruto pulled his toes back as he came in for the stomp. Seeing Natsu roll just out of range in time, Naruto landed lightly and pirouetted gracefully, extending a kick that just managed to catch the teen to the soft part of his stomach. Totally unsuspecting the kick as he jumped to his feet, Natsu coughed loudly as all the air was forced from his lungs, sending him rolling backward clutching his chest as he tried to breath.

Jogging over, Naruto knelt beside the boy as the crowd around them began to cheer wildly. Grinning as Natsu wheezed helplessly, Naruto took his hands and placed them on his pink head. "Here, lay like this with your arms up. It opens up your airways. Trust me."

Happy floated over from the crowd and landed beside his friend, patting his face in comfort. "It's ok Natsu, I know you can't talk right now so I'll say I give up for you. You didn't look as pathetic as I expected though! You managed to last a little while before Naruto destroyed you."

Chuckling as the unintentionally abrasive cat 'consoled' his friend, Naruto shook his head when Natsu wheezed out something that sounded like an attempt at an angry shout. "Oi, focus on breathing, not fighting."

Nodding slightly as he tried to regain his breath, Naruto stood up and looked to Erza. She grinned at him, raising a hand. "Naruto wins. Now..." Stepping forward, the female mage eyed him almost hungrily. "Someone please remove Natsu and everyone stand back. I wish to be able to have as much fun as possible."

The crowd quietened a little as Elfman and Gray came forward and shifted Natsu out of danger. Whispers began filtering through the mages as they all excitedly waited for the match to begin. Hearing a loud call, Naruto looked over and sighed. It seemed Cana had decided to start up a betting pool, again, and already had several mages throwing down wads of money with more running up every second.

Walking to their starting positions, Erza then called out to mages despite never taking her eyes of Naruto's. "Who will ref our match?"

"I will, if only to make sure you don't destroy anything."

Looking over in mild surprise, Erza's face softened and she chuckled. "A fine idea Master. This means I can let lose a little more though."

Sweat dropping, Makarov scratched his cheek. "Uh, just make sure you don't go too overboard ok?"

Cracking her knuckles, Erza dropped down into an easy split, actually lifting one leg off the ground to achieve a greater stretch. "I shall try Master."

Some slightly impure thoughts began to enter Naruto's mind when he saw the mage's impressive flexibility, but he banished them until later. Thinking about something like that now would just end up with those legs wrapped around his neck as they choked him into unconsciousness. Waiting for the mage to finish, Naruto looked around as the crowd began calling out, some encouraging him while others supported Erza. Despite the differences in opinion though, one thing was certain and that was that this fight was going to be impressive.

Standing, Erza smirked and began to glow as her magic took over her body. Her first lot of clothing disappeared for a moment before a new set of fabrics wrapped around her. The light faded revealing Erza now standing in cheetah printed armour.

The bra, shoulder plates, knee pads and even the fluffy ears now attached to her head had the distinctive print on them. Blue arm warmers covered her forearms, a loop around each middle finger to stop them sliding around. A pair of bikini length leather short shorts covered her modesty, a strange knee length cape hanging from her belt. Mid shin length metal shoes covered her feet, but the armour itself looks segmented and light. From the top of them rose blue stockings that were coloured the same as her arm warmers, stopping mid way up her thighs. A single short range sword was clasped in her right hand, the actual guard being a deep red.

Pointing the sword at Naruto, Erza smirked. "I'll let you know the properties of this requip as foreknowledge. I don't wish to hurt you too much after all."

Naruto chuckled and tilted his head to the side. "How kind of you."

Smirking wider, she placed her free hand on her hip. "This is my **Flight Armour**. I realised you have quite some speed behind you after witnessing how easily you toyed with Natsu. Stories I heard from Levy also reinforce this. It's a shame they have been ordered bed rest as they would have enjoyed this fight. Because of this though, I wish to test just how fast you really are."

Smiling passively, Naruto withdrew a scroll. Channelling chakra into his hand, he swiped it over the matrix on the paper and in a puff a kunai appeared. Tucking the scroll away, he twirled the tool around for a second before holding it out in a reverse grip.

Raising an eyebrow, Erza pointed at the kunai. "It is an interesting trick to store your tools in such an object, but it is rather cumbersome. Surely there must be a faster way to requip?"

Naruto looked down at the kunai and shrugged. "There was one girl from my home that could do all kinds of crazy things with weapons and scrolls that I could never figure out. I never really tried to though."

Nodding, Erza hummed. "Indeed. Perhaps tomorrow then we could work on something that would increase your requip speed."

Grinning, Naruto nodded happily. "Yeah, I'm keen!"

Smiling back, Erza lowered her center of gravity. "Until then though, you'll find that as a disadvantage in this fight!""

Naruto's smile just widened. "Guess I'll have to rely on everything else I can do then."

Looking to the Master, they both nodded. Sighing worriedly at what was to come, Makarov gave them each one last stern look. "Alright, I want this fight kept to this park. Do NOT destroy anything, or I will be forced to punish you both. Are we clear?"

Glancing over at Erza, the blond was rather surprised to find the woman actually begin to sweat slightly before swallowing a lump that seemed to appear in her throat. "Y-yes, Master."

Whistling quietly to himself, Naruto was quite sure he didn't want to find out what this punishment was if it was enough to scare even Erza into submission. Nodding at the old man, Naruto reassured him. "No worries, it'll stay right here."

Nodding once, Makarov grinned. "Good. With that out of the road, you may now begin!"

Turning to look back at Erza, the blonds eyes widened as he saw Erza suddenly in his face, screaming out as she brought a leg in high for a debilitating head kick. Ducking on instinct, the blond could swear he felt his hair pulled with how close she'd come to ending the fight. Kicking a leg out from his crouch, Naruto watched as Erza just barely avoided the attack by falling into a cartwheel, making sure to try her luck again with another kick. Rolling sideways, Naruto felt the ground he'd just been sitting on crunch as the powerful attack broke through the crust.

Lashing out, Naruto used the slight distraction to flip up onto his fingers and handspring back to a safe distance. Now able to take a breather, Naruto swallowed a small, awe inspired gasp as he watched the woman straighten up confidently. The surrounding crowd were going ballistic and Naruto couldn't blame them. Standing up himself, Naruto could not believe that whole exchange had taken all of one second.

Placing a hand on her hip, Erza hummed approvingly. "Well done, you have proven to be as fast as I expected. Not many people can say they've dodged my first attack."

Chuckling, Naruto took a breath and exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I can see why. That really took me by surprise."

Closing his eyes for a moment, Naruto centered himself and brought his raging adrenalin under control. Finding his calm, he opened his eyes and smirked. "Alright, let's try that again, shall we?"

Erza just smirked before both fighters disappeared from sight.

Brief clangs and solid thumps began sounding out across the area as both the ninja and mage flashed from one end of the park to the other in a series of collisions. Everyone watching were screaming their lungs out as they struggled to follow the intense fight happening right before their eyes. Many also jumped back as they felt a gust of wind pass mere inches from them as the two fighters flickered past them.

With Naruto, he had already managed to nick Erza a couple of times with his kunai, his current speed being ever so slightly better than hers. The woman was putting up a fantastic fight however as the speed she wielded her sword with was enough to make even the greatest samurai jealous. Charging in again, Naruto watched as Erza grabbed the sword in a double grip and lifted it above her head.

Crossing his fingers at the last moment, Erza's eyes widened in surprise as she swung down into a cloud, two identical Naruto's dashing out and around behind her. Pivoting on her leading foot, the red head swung out only to find a pair of hands wrap themselves firmly around her wrist. Flowing with the movement easily though, Erza lifted her feet off the ground and placed them into the blonds face before kicking off powerfully. He grimaced in pain before exploding into a puff of smoke as the woman flew away, her back facing the ground.

Realising the real Naruto was still around, Erza tried to alter her flight path but it was too late. A set of arms wrapped around her middle from below and she felt an enormous tug on her body as she was rapidly pulled to a stop. Her momentum was redirected into the ground and the woman managed to bring her arms over her head just in time as she smashed into the ground. Groaning as the earth gave way under her block, she felt the arms let go of her waist and then felt vibrations through the earth as Naruto jumped away.

Flipping her body over to rest her knees on the ground, Erza pulled her torso from the earth and looked up at the smirking blond. Running her fingers through her hair, she quickly removed the larger pieces of dirt before frowning at her opponent. "You do realise that move you pulled before wasn't very fair."

The teen just laughed annoyingly before winking at her. "My dear Erza-chan, I'm a ninja. I don't play fair. I've been trained not to."

Erza seemed to frown angrily for a moment, but then a thoughtful look crossed her face and she smiled. "Alright, I'll stop holding back then."

Naruto's grin dropped slightly. "That was holding back?"

Erza didn't say anything and charged. Readying himself for the woman, Naruto watched as her blinding speed carried her up to striking range within a second. What Naruto didn't expect was for the woman to flash yellow for a second and suddenly lash out with a mace.

Not at all ready to dodge something that wide, Naruto crossed his arms and grunted as the solid lump of iron blew him backwards. Focusing on his chakra, Naruto pushed it into the ground and skidded to a stop far sooner than expected. Erza didn't predict this however and collided with the blond as she chased after him. Exhaling with an 'oof', the two rolled across the ground before sliding to a stop. Finding Erza sitting on his chest, the red head gripped Naruto's wrists and pushed them into the ground, glowing for a second and suddenly gaining several hundred kilos with a new outfit. Effectively pinning his arms to the ground, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. Raising both feet high, he flooded his legs with chakra and kicked down at the ground.

Human sized pieces of earth jumped into the air as Naruto easily broke into the earth. His body sunk as fissures underneath him upset the dirt and buckled the landscape. Hearing a surprised cry from Erza, Naruto bucked his hips up and overbalanced the girl. Grabbing at a foot that passed his vision, Naruto rolled over and lashed out before dragging Erza back under him. Finding her face down, he placed his hands into the small of her back and pushed off solidly, hearing her gasp as he flew backwards.

Landing lightly, Naruto looked over at the hole cautiously. The speed she displayed when she requiped was nothing short of incredible. It was tough to change hand held weapons that fast mid battle, let alone a whole outfit. Seeing Erza pull herself from the dirt, Naruto grinned. "You holding up ok? You nearly got me with that last one."

Looking up at him through her fringe, Erza smirked. "Oh yes, I'm doing fine. In fact, I'm having a great time!"

Glowing as she charged, Erza swung in with a pair of massive broad swords. Ducking low to escape the scissor like action, Naruto dived forward to tackle the girl. She glowed briefly before reverting to her cheetah outfit and avoided the attack just in time. Naruto looked to the side as time seemed to slow down, the blond now totally at the mages mercy.

'Oh crap.'

Again, the woman flashed gold before what felt like a plank slapped into his back with a mighty crack. Crying out in pain, Naruto bounced off the ground before a kick into his stomach sent him sliding away. Ignoring his gut, Naruto gingerly stood up and lifted his shirt to have a look at his skin. A brilliant red mark in stark contrast to his pale skin crossed his back, the mages behind him bursting out into laughter when they saw it. Looking back over at Erza, Naruto whined at her, "Do you have any idea how much that hurt? That was like an open handed slap of death!"

Flicking her hair over her shoulder, Erza smirked. "Just be happy I didn't decide to cut you in half."

Lowering his shirt, Naruto winced again as he touched the angry mark. Blinking away a tear at the corner of his eye, Naruto growled. It didn't matter if it would fade in another minute or so. That _hurt_. Crossing his fingers, Naruto glared at the confident woman. "Fine, take this then! **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!**"

Suddenly, thirty clones surrounded Erza and the girl lowered her center, cautiously watching the blonds around her. Sensing an attack, she whirled around and raised a sword, only to see Naruto with his fingers crossed and an evil smirk plastered onto his face. "**Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique)!**"

The explosion of smoke followed by Naruto's buxom, not to mention naked alter ego was the very last thing on Erza's mind as he attacked. Shocked into place, Erza's eyes widened as the blond girl landed on her and instantly wrapped her arms and legs around the mages waist. The mass of breast that was firmly pressed into Erza's face didn't really help her thought process either. Thus, the rapid thumps of approaching feet didn't even compute until she found herself high in the air via a powerful punch.

Eyes still wide, Erza looked around in panic as Naruto's closed in from all sides. They all were grinning widely as they raised their fists in preparation for the attack. Unable to really do anything, Erza clenched her eyes shut and awaited the impact. Instead of a round of bone jarring punches though, the woman felt a gentle hand wrap around her waist and right her as she fell to the ground. Landing lightly, it was then Erza realised the knife positioned carefully under her chin.

Slowly looking over her shoulder, Erza saw Naruto's grinning face staring back at her. Sighing in defeat, Erza smiled and hung her head. "I yield."

Having watched the last few seconds of the fight in relative silence, the mages of Fairy Tail suddenly exploded into life, a massive cheer going off as well as a thunderous laugh at the way the guilds top female had been defeated.

Removing his kunai, Naruto wriggled his eyebrows and quickly sealed it back into the scroll. Stepping back, Naruto looked down as Erza turned and extended a hand. "Good fight, Naruto. I look forward to another sometime!"

Taking the outstretched hand, the blond shook solidly and nodded. "Yeah, I can't wait!"

Dropping the hand, Erza then took on a thoughtful look. "That attack with your female self though..."

Chuckling awkwardly, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Uh, yeah was a distraction technique I came up with when I was younger. I hope you aren't too cranky about that."

Placing a hand to her chin, Erza instead replayed the move in her mind. "On the contrary, that was a very effective diversion. I may have to add it to my arsenal."

Pausing for a second, it took Naruto a moment to realise what she just said. "Um, really?"

Looking up at him with a straight face, Erza nodded once. "Such an effective attack would be of most use."

Sniffing up something wet in his nose, Naruto leant in and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Well, if you ever want to make sure it's effective enough, I'll gladly be your guinea pig. It takes more than just jumping on someone to fully unleash it's distractive power."

Smiling Erza nodded. "Alright, I'll take you up on the offer. We shall begin training tomorrow."

Naruto couldn't believe his luck. Just as the guild reached them, Naruto took off in a spurt of blood singing, "Life is GOOD!"

XxXxXxX

Naruto sat back at the guild with several mages at the table around him, tissues stuffed up his nose as blood continued to leak out occasionally. The giddy smile on his face frustrated everyone though, because every time they'd ask him about it, he'd just shake his head and say, "Training."

Natsu had quickly recovered and was now sitting as close to Naruto as he could possibly muster, hounding him for another fight. "So, you should fight me again! Like, tomorrow! It's too dark now, so what do you say?"

Gray seemed to take offence to this as he was just as eager to try his luck against the formidable blond. "Shut up for one second, you annoying lizard! You've already been thrashed, so go sit down in the corner like a good little reptile and atleast wait a week before coming back to bother us all!"

Spinning around to face the ice mage, Natsu habitually rose to the challenge, flames seeming to explode behind his eyes in a rather painful looking way. "Ha! Sit down yourself, we all know you'd get smashed by Naruto is half the time it took for him to beat me! I'm just taking your place so people have something interesting to watch!"

The temperature around the mage dropped to freezing in a second, his clothes also beginning to drop to the floor. "Come on candle wax, keep pushing it."

An opposing heat quickly rose to fight the cold snap. "Watch where you tread, bastard."

They were just about to fall down into another scrap when Elfman stepped in, his massive hands clamping down on their heads and lifting them into the air. "While it is always manly to have a fight, I suggest you wait for the moment. Natsu, you had your go so wait your turn. Gray, you may want to wait until after I fought Naruto anyway so you have a slightly worn out opponent."

Glaring at the giant, they lashed out and sent him flying across the room with duel calls of, "SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Ignoring all this, Macao and Wakaba were sitting opposite of Naruto, trying to glean details about what made him so starry eyed. "Come of Naruto, we heard something about you being Erza's new test dummy for something, so what is it? Most people scream in fear when asked."

Naruto shook his head and smiled happily. "Nah, I offered. It's a good position."

Wakaba's eyebrows raised, his thin eyes showing off a slip of rare pupil. "Do you have a death wish or something? No one offers to be Erza's training buddy. Except Natsu, but he's too dumb to work out it hurts."

The group ignored the angry call as Gray tackled Natsu into the ground, taking up where the left off before Elfman interrupted.

Leaning back, Naruto laughed and looked to the sky in thought. "No, this time it'll definitely be good. I have a hunch."

"So you won't tell us any more details?"

Naruto smiled and shrugged. "What's to tell?"

Groaning as the blond looped his answers again, Macao and Wakaba looked at each other. "We gotta find out what this is! Any ideas though?"

Turning to look through the crowd, the blue haired man tried to spot anyone who could possibly help. "Hmmm... he won't tell any of us males, so we'll need a girl to extract the information... Levy's not here, Erza... that kind of defeats the purpose. Lucy, she's more scared of Erza than anyone I think. Who, who, who... Ah-ha!"

Grabbing his friends shoulder, Macao dragged Wakaba to his feet and pulled him along. "My friend, I just had an idea."

Running over to Mirajane, Macao stopped before the beauty and looked down at her while giving her his most charming smile. Looking up with a raised eyebrow, Mirajane could smell something fishy. "What do you want?"

Laughing awkwardly, Macao scratched his head. "Awww don't be like that Mira! I actually wanted to ask a favour. You see, Naruto has this 'training' session with Erza coming up, and we all know that's suicide. He won't tell us any details though so we were wondering if you might be able to find out what it is?"

Closing her eyes, the ivory haired girl shook her head. "Nope! If Naruto doesn't wanna share, who am I to interrupt?"

Visibly deflating, Macao sighed. "So you won't ask?"

Giggling, the girl turned away. "Nope! I gotta run now, work's never done!"

Looking at the floor dejectedly, Macao felt Wakaba place a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Well, good idea but it didn't work. Is there anyone else?"

Scanning the crowd, Wakaba frowned as he tried to see any potential candidates. Seeing a keg being lifted up high in the corner of the room, he grinned. "I think I just solved your problem."

Pulling his friend over, the sight of a leggy brunette came into view as she sunk a barrel of rum. Opening an eye as she heard them call out to her, she raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, what's up?"

Dropping down into a spare seat beside Cana, Macao and Wakaba cut straight to the chase. "Well, we actually want to ask a favour. Naruto agreed to help out Erza with training and won't stop laughing about it! So either something _really_ interesting is gonna happen or he's lost his mind. He won't tell us what though, so we were wondering if you could find out for us."

Pausing mid sip, Cana considered the question. She had also overheard something about that and was rather curious herself. This however, presented an opportunity for extortion that she couldn't pass up. "What's in it for me?"

Macao thumped his hand on the barrel she was holding. "A day's worth of booze and a massage at the local spa house."

Cana stood up sharply. "Bitchin'. Let's do this."

Striding over towards her blond target, Cana left the two men in her wake as she dropped into the seat beside Naruto. Leaning back as casually as she could manage, she looked over at her companion and smiled. "Sup."

Naruto looked back. "Not much."

She nodded. "Cool, cool. So Naruto, I hear you got a thing coming up with Erza. Like a training session or something."

Naruto nodded, a happy smile sliding back onto his face. "Sure do. It's gonna be awesome."

Raising an eyebrow, the brunette pressured him. "You do realise most people would run screaming from her if they were asked to do something like that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I know. I can handle myself well enough and anyway, I offered to help."

Eyes widening, Cana leaned in. This was less about the booze and more about her own curiosity now. "Really? What on earth made you do that?"

Naruto's grin took a more goofy edge. "Oh, she wants to try learn a diversionary technique I created. I said I'd help her get it right."

Frowning, Cana leant in. "Yeah, but what?"

Naruto looked at the woman with a smirk. "Just a simple distraction technique. If you wanna come though, ask Erza. You could probably learn it too!"

Missing the perverse giggle, Cana looked around for Erza. Spotting the red head over at the bar, Cana narrowed her eyes.

She was currently at crossroads. On one hand, she was very interested in just what this diversionary technique was that Naruto was planning to teach Erza but on the other hand, training with Erza was just asking to be laid up in bed for two or three days. Rolling the thought about in her mind for a few seconds, Cana nodded as she came to a decision. She could just come and watch. There's no way she'd get hurt if she was outside of the zone of destruction.

Standing, she walked over to Erza and took a seat beside the powerful mage. Looking up, the red head gave her a smile. "Hello Cana, how are you? Good to see you away from the alcohol."

Cana nodded. "Yeah, I thought I might give it a break for a moment. Anyway, I just finished talking with Naruto and he told me you and him were going for some training tomorrow?"

Surprisingly, a blush sprung to Erza's cheeks and she looked a little self-conscious. "Y-yes. He has offered to help me with a powerful defensive technique."

That slight stutter had Cana hook, line and sinker. She had to know what was going on. Leaning in, the brunette lowered her voice. "So, can you tell me what it is? Naruto asked if I wanted to come along too."

Erza's blush deepened and she looked down at the drink before her. "Really now? Well, I cannot see a reason for you to not come." She then cast an appraising gaze over Cana and her blush spread. "In fact, you may even be more suited to it than myself."

Leaning back in surprise, Cana whistled quietly to herself. Whatever this was, it must have been right up her alley for even Erza to admit she had a better chance of doing whatever it was. Her mind was pretty much made up for her when she heard that statement. Nodding, she pushed herself to her feet. "Thanks Erza. Where will you be training tomorrow? I'll swing past."

Staring at her drink, Erza nodded. "O-ok. I look forward to t-training with you. I hope - believe it will be somewhere secluded."

Raising a questioning eyebrow, Cana just shrugged. "Ok, I'll go ask Naruto."

Turning, Cana slid through the mages milling around as she headed for Naruto. Tapping the bench in front of him, she drew his attention. "Alright boy, I'll bite. Erza seems to think I'd be suited for whatever this is so where are you gonna hold this?"

The tissues stuffed up Naruto's nose began bleeding red again as he grinned up at her happily. "Oh yeah, you'd more than be suited for it. It's pretty specific training though, so I'll tell you where it is tomorrow so no one butts in."

Frowning curiously, Cana had no choice but to accept it. Sighing, she stood up straight and turned back to where Macao and Wakaba were sitting. "Fine, but it better be worth it or you'll regret taking me away from my drink."

Sweating slightly, Naruto waved a hand at her. "No problem! Uh, you may want to bring a flask then, just in case."

Smirking at him, the tall brunette left Naruto to himself. Running a finger along his collar, Naruto swallowed. Tomorrow was going to be awesome, no two ways about it. How awesome it was though, all depended on whether or not Cana decided to bash his head in for the so called 'training'. Thinking over it again though, Naruto shook his head and resolved himself. Erza asked for it and Cana wanted in. He was completely innocent here. Smiling happily, the blond leant back onto to find himself pulled off his chair and into Natsu and Gray's fight.

Several sets of shoes stomped into him before the blond growled angrily and grabbed a foot in each hand. Standing, Naruto twirled a full three hundred and sixty degrees before releasing the teens and sending them flying across the room with a scream and a crash. Stretching his shirt out, Naruto looked at it and sighed when he saw the result. It was already dirty after the afternoon's fights, but now it was more a smeared brown than cream.

Hearing a giggle, the blond looked up and saw Mirajane walking towards him. "Oh my, did you get dragged into one of Natsu and Gray's fights?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh, you could tell?"

She nodded and pointed at his face. "The footprint on your forehead kinda gave it away."

Crossing his eyes upwards in an effort to see the mark, Naruto raised a sleeve and rubbed it away. Lowering it with a sigh, he looked at his clothes in annoyance. "This sucks. These are like brand new and they already need a massive wash! I only just got them today, damnit."

Frowning, Mirajane placed a finger to her lips. "That's true, but you still only have one other set of clothes don't you! How have you managed all this time with only them?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm resourceful. Wouldn't be much of a ninja if a few dirty clothes made me squirm."

The barmaid nodded. "Indeed, it would be pretty weak. That aside, would you like some new clothes? Only having one set must get annoying, even for a ninja like yourself."

Crossing his arms, Naruto nodded. "Yeah... it doesn't really bother me too much, but I have like no money to buy anything. I've been living off your good will since I arrived here!"

Smiling brightly, Mirajane tipped her head to the side. "Oh, that's no bother! We've been keeping a tab for you since you arrived. It's obviously been severely discounted since you're new here, but once you start taking a few jobs you'll be able to pay us back."

Blinking with wide eyes several times, Naruto then narrowed one eye slightly. "...Really?"

Mirajane nodded. "Yup! Just be happy you weren't picked up by any other guild because I've heard they charge even their mages full priced meals."

Sighing morosely as the information sunk in, Naruto dropped his head. "Of course it was. Why didn't I think of that?"

Laughing happily, Mirajane patted his arm. "Not to worry, you can make the jewels up in only a job or two. The tab isn't very high."

Atleast that was some good news. Opening his eyes, Naruto found himself staring at his dirty shirt again. Looking back up at the barmaid, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So... if I were to get these clothes, does that mean they'd go on my tab?"

Mira crinkled her nose cutely as she had a think. "Well... usually yes, but after your promotion to one of the Ten Wizard Saints, consider this a present from your's truly."

She winked at him and giggled as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, thanks Mira-chan. When do you think we could go looking then? Cause I have _no_ idea where any decent clothing stores are."

Walking up beside him, the girl gently swung her hips out and bumped her side off of Naruto's. "Oh, if you're kind enough to create a few Naruko's to keep things going here, we could go right now! It's late night shopping so we'd have hours of fun ahead of us!"

Something in the way she said 'fun' elicited a shiver that ran down his spine. Despite the feeling, Naruto just nodded and in a poof created three females all ready to man the stations. Grinning happily at the blond, Mirajane headed back towards the bar.

"Oh!"

Twirling around, she lifted up onto her toes and kissed Naruto on the cheek again. Dropping back down, she gave him a wink. "Just because."

Watching her walk away properly this time, Naruto ignored the few raunchy calls from a few males behind him and smirked. It seemed she was feeling pretty liberal with the kisses today. Not that he was going to complain and who knew, a shopping trip might even get him another one or two if he behaved.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – and... cut. That's a nifty place to stop I think. _

_I hope everyone liked the surprise fight mid chapter. It caught me by surprise too. _

_I also ask everyone again, drop everything you are doing and go read and review Guardian by Eilwynn! Please, this magnificent story isn't getting the publicity it deserves._

_I'll leave you all to it then cause I've gone and caught a wonderful cold and am blowing quite the array of colours from my nose. Enjoy the mental pictures._

_Lanky Nathan_


	18. Chapter 18

The blond sat outside as he waited for his escort to arrive. Huffing softly, he wondered what it was with women. All Mirajane had to do was take off the apron and come out, yet she still managed to make it take over fifteen minutes. Another thing that irked him was this weird presence he could sense floating around the guild. He thought he could see someone from time to time but whenever he went to search for them, he found nothing. He was almost at the point of going sage and forcefully hunting down whatever it was, but that was effort he just didn't have right now. Hearing a merry goodbye though, he turned and looked up as the girl walked from the makeshift guild.

Smiling down at him, she tilted her head to the side. "All set! Let's go!"

Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto dusted down his filthy clothes as best he could and nodded. A sudden thought occurred to Naruto though and he levelled a gaze at Mirajane. "So, about the payment I owe..."

Looking up innocently, she blinked. "Yes?"

Frowning, Naruto cupped his chin. "Well, how long has Naruko been working here? I mean, surely she must have been paying off some of my debt."

Mirajane blinked in surprise. "You know what... I didn't even think of that!"

Sweat dropping, Naruto narrowed an eye. "Uh, how couldn't you? I mean, she _is_ me. You've even seen me create her like, how many times?"

Blushing embarrassedly, the girl giggled. "Oh, I'm so absent minded sometimes! I'll remind the Master. He's even worse than me."

Naruto sighed. He didn't think even he was that bad. Feeling an arm slip through his own, Naruto looked down and saw Mirajane now hanging from his side, beginning to pull on him towards the town. "Come on then! We don't wanna be late now."

Grumbling something about Mirajane taking forever just to get changed, the blond let himself get pulled into the lights.

XxXxXxX

Despite having been here for a while now, Naruto still hadn't ventured too deeply into the town for the sole purpose of entertainment and window shopping. He also hadn't set foot in there at night either, so everything that was going on was quite the experience.

There were a couple of road side venders that were selling various foods, most of them unhealthy if the unholy amounts of sauce they were being flooded with were any indication. The lights that were strung up between the carts also gave the streets a merry feel to it that could lift anyone's mood.

On top of that, the numerous couples that filled the street gave it a young romance feel too. Funnily enough though, for the first time Naruto didn't feel out of place. Even though they were only here on a shopping trip, having a cover girl like Mirajane hanging off his arm could let him pretend that he was out on a date.

As he walked along, the blond noticed several people along the way pointing at him and whispering, some smiling happily at him and even waving. Not quite sure what the fuss was over, Naruto awkwardly smiled and waved back. The girl by his side picked up on his confusion and poked him. "What's wrong? Don't you like the attention?"

Looking down, Naruto shook his head. "No, it's not that, I just don't actually know what I'm getting it all for."

Raising an incredulous eyebrow, Mirajane patted his chest, right over his badge. "It's because of that! What, did you think that rank was only important to mages or something?"

Naruto blinked and looked down at his chest. "Uh, yeah I didn't think civilians would care about something like that here. They never really did back at my home unless it was an exhibition."

Frowning, Mirajane retracted her hand. "That's odd. I'd have thought a jump to such a prominent position would have garnered a lot of attention."

Naruto crinkled his nose in thought. "Well, they do if a new ninja leader is elected. He's the most powerful ninja in the whole village so it's a big thing."

Mira nodded. "Well, this is something like that. You're recognised as one of the ten most powerful people in Fiore! Why wouldn't they celebrate something like that?"

Pursing his lips, Naruto crossed his arms behind his head as he looked to the sky. "Huh, I never really thought of it like that."

Rolling her eyes, Mira reached up and flicked his nose. "Well, you should have you silly thing! What am I to do with you?"

Rubbing his nose, Naruto smirked. "Love me, care for me, feed me, nurture me... you know, those kind of things."

Sighing good naturedly, Mira shook her head. "That's what I have been doing ever since you arrived here isn't it?"

Naruto nodded acceptingly after a moment. "Yeah, I guess you have! Keep up the good work!"

Slapping his arm, Mirajane chuckled. "Stop that. Oh, I also think you have a fan."

Looking down, Naruto saw a little boy of about eight years and his mother walking forward with a Sorcerer's Magazine and a marker. He paused for a moment until his mum knelt down and urged him on quietly. Sucking up all the courage he could muster, he walked forward hesitantly. "H-hey! You're the new Wizard Saint yeah?"

Naruto grinned and nodded. "Yup, sure am."

The boys eyes lit up and he pushed the book out. "Can you sign this then? I think you're really cool!"

Chuckling embarrassedly, Naruto took the book. "Uh, yeah ok. Um..."

Realising Naruto was stuck, Mirajane knelt in. "What's your name? So Naruto knows who his biggest fan is."

She winked at the boy which caused him to blush. "R-Rayne."

Looking up at Naruto, she saw him hesitate for a moment before scratching something down. Handing it back, Naruto smiled as he saw the boys face light up. The boy frowned then as something didn't seem right. Turning it over, he pointed at the squiggle. "Why didn't you sign as 'Orange Rocket'?"

Visibly blanching, Naruto shook his head. "That's someone else."

Frowning, he kid stared at Naruto for a while before nodding slowly. "I guess... you don't even have any orange on. You'd look better if you did but."

Grinning happily, Naruto ruffled his hair. "I bet I would too! Nice to see you know good colours. Take care now."

Smiling happily, the kid waved at him before turning and running back to his mum and proudly showing her the signature. The woman looked over and smiled thankfully to Naruto before leading the boy away by his hand.

A warm feeling rose in his chest and a natural smile graced his lips as he watched them leave. It was really nice to be appreciated for things every now and then. Feeling a tug on his arm, Naruto was brought back from his thoughts and looked down to see Mirajane pulling him towards a clothing store. "Here's a nice place! They've got good quality clothes and are usually pretty well priced too."

Shrugging, Naruto let himself be led inside. Once in there though, Naruto frowned. Something wasn't right.

Narrowing his eyes suspiciously as Mirajane led him into the depths, he suddenly realised the problem. He was the only male in the store. He leant down near his guide's ear as he looked around. "Hey Mira-chan, why am I the only guy here?"

The girl shrugged as she stopped near a section marked 'men'. "I'm not sure. A lot of us girls wonder as well."

Looking around one last time as Mirajane began flicking through the shirts before her, Naruto decided it must have just been something unique to Magnolia. Watching as his companion began pulling clothes from the rack, Naruto sweat dropped. Nothing she was pulling out matched his tastes. "Uh, Mira-chan, shouldn't you ask me what I like first before selecting what I'm trying on?"

Shaking her head, the girl shushed him. "No, leave that to me. I'll find you something that will suit you beautifully!"

It was then Naruto began suspecting there could be a legitimate reason he was the only man in the store.

XxXxXxX

"But Naruto! There's still more we can look at! Please, just one more!"

Growling as he carried a disappointed Mirajane out of the store over his shoulder, Naruto lifted up the several plastic bags packed with clothes, most of which weren't even his. "No! No 'one more'! We've been in there for hours!"

The blond was now in a well fitted, deep blue shirt with orange flames of varying hues rising up from the bottom hem. His long pants were also a deep blue, bordering more towards black than the actual colour though. It wasn't much of an upgrade in clothing, but atleast they were clean.

Pouting and crossing her arms in a huff, Mirajane watched as several couples giggled to themselves as they watched the blond carry her away from the clothing shop. "It wasn't hours, it was barely pushing one."

Despite being spoken softly, Naruto still heard it. "Well, it felt like hours. I wanna do something else now, I'm over searching through shirts and stuff."

Sighing unhappily, Mirajane kicked her legs gently and ruffled his hair. "There, there Naruto, it's all over then. Can you please put me down now?"

Realising he had been carrying her a fair way, Naruto lent down and dropped her to her feet. Straightening, he looked around and found himself on a walkway beside one of the rivers that snaked its way through the town. The lights here were dimmer too to allow the moonlight to reflect back brighter from the water's surface. A boat slowly floated down with the current, a pair of lovers snuggled up in the back as a man gently steered the boat along.

Hearing a dreamy sigh beside him, Naruto looked down and saw Mirajane watching the scene with lidded eyes. She also seemed to start leaning into him unconsciously, her arms gently snaking their way around his and pulling it into her chest. Chuckling, Naruto shook his head as he realised her desire. "Hey, Mira-chan, you wanna go on a boat ride?"

Blinking several times as she snapped out of her trance, the girl giggled awkwardly and stepped back, a hand behind her head. "Oh! I didn't mean to do that sorry. I just haven't been on one in such a long time that I kind of lost myself for a moment there."

Naruto shrugged and smiled. "That doesn't worry me! If you wanna go on a boat ride, then let's go! It's not like we're only out here for me."

Mirajane sighed. "I'd like to, but I don't really have enough after the clothes."

Looking over as the boat floated away, he raised an eyebrow. "How much does it cost?"

The girl shrugged. "It's been that long that I can't remember."

Rolling his eyes with a laugh, Naruto began pulling Mirajane along after him as he ran after the boat. "Well it might have dropped in price by now! Stop wishing the boat ride will happen and make it happen!"

The blonds' infectious personality made quick work of her slight hesitation and with a laugh began running beside him.

XxXxXxX

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Hugging the boat owner, Mirajane jumped in and sat up the front of the boat, excitedly looking out over the water. It turned out the fee was as steep as the barmaid had expected, but because word had gotten around of Naruto's promotion to one of the Ten Saints, the boat owner had decided to give them a ride for free. Letting Naruto settle down on the back seat, he pushed the boat off and began guiding it down the river.

"You know, I've never had a Wizard of the Ten Saints ride in my boat. I'm pretty sure no one else has either. What made you pick mine?"

Hearing the man speak, Naruto leaned back and looked at the upside down man. "Well, Mira-chan wanted to go for a boat ride and yours was the first we found. The fact you let us get on for free was a big part of it too." The blond chuckled. "We don't have too much money at the moment."

Raising his eyebrows, the boatman shook his head. "That's hard to believe. I'd expect you'd have heaps from all the high level assignments you'd have undertaken."

Hearing a happy cry from Mirajane as a fish jumped up, Naruto looked over and grinned as she reached out to try touch it. "Eh, I haven't actually taken that many. I was just in the right place at the right time."

The man nodded and guided the boat back into the middle of the river. "You're a lucky man then. If you ever need any spare cash though, be sure to look me up in the missions list in the guild. I put requests in from time to time."

Grinning, Naruto gave him thumbs up. "I'll make sure to."

Hearing another happy giggle from Mira, the two men looked over. Naruto chuckled while the boatman eyed him up. Leaning down, he lowered his voice so only Naruto could hear. "So, is Mirajane your girlfriend then young master?"

Looking up, Naruto blinked a few times. "No. We're just friends. Why'd you say that?"

Raising an eyebrow, the man looked over at the girl playing in the water. "You can't tell me you missed the way she looks at you? It's written all over her face, even if she does control herself well."

Looking back at the ivory haired girl, Naruto pursed his lips. "I just thought that was her normally. Come to think of it, Erza did say something about that though."

Chuckling, the boatman stood up. "Just wait then. See what happens."

Looking up at the man curiously, Naruto waited for him to say more. He didn't though, so the blond just turned back to watch as Mirajane now rested her head on her hands, wide eyes watching as the houses and streets lazily drifted by. As his own eyes began drifting around to look at the sights, a very pleasant noise began to drift into his consciousness. Looking around for its source, Naruto eventually trained his eyes back on Mirajane. She was trailing a finger in the water, head turned to the side and humming gently to herself.

Leaning in to listen, her voice stopped as she noticed Naruto move. As she looked over, Naruto widened his eyes. "No, don't stop! You have a really nice voice!"

Smiling gently, she nodded and looked back down into the water. Her voice picked up where it left off and Naruto smiled happily. Closing his eyes, he leant back into the seat and let the melody float over him. The beautiful tune seemed to dip and weave its way around his head, in through his ears and sinking into his mind. The waves of her soft voice seemed to match the waves of the water tapping against the boat and within minutes, Naruto could feel himself falling asleep. It certainly wasn't a prime resting spot, but anything was comfortable when listening to that voice.

Just as he was about to drift off, Mirajane stopped humming. Opening a lazy eye, Naruto looked over as the girl shifted from the front of the boat and sat beside him. Smiling down at him, she wriggled in. "You look _really_ uncomfortable like that. Come on, sit up for a moment."

Frowning, Naruto complied. He felt Mirajane shuffle in behind him and then found a set of hands grasp his shoulders and gently coax him back down. His eyes widened when he realised his head was now positioned in the girls lap. Looking up at her uncomfortably, she shook her head. "Just relax ok?"

His brow furrowed slightly, but as she began humming again his muscles relaxed and he took a deep breath. A movement behind Mirajane caught his eye and he looked up to see the boatman smirking down at him in an 'I told you so' way. Ignoring him, Naruto then felt a set of fingers start running their way through his hair.

No one had ever done anything like that for the blond before so initially he tensed up in surprise. The rushed hushing from Mirajane however calmed him quickly enough. She looked down at him in slight concern as he stared up at her curiously. "Just relax for me alright? It'll feel nice, I promise."

Still slightly hesitant about the new development, Naruto decided to trust the girl and closed his eyes. The feeling started up again and once he let himself relax into it, he was incredibly pleased he listened to her. Nothing anyone had ever done to him before felt quite like this. She seemed to like gently running her nails along his skin and then draw her fingers back through his hair. Sighing happily as his body relaxed of its own accord, the blond could only pray nothing bad suddenly jumped up because he was _so_ not prepared for anything right now.

Her humming then started up again and Naruto instantly found his mind wandering. Her voice seemed to carry his thoughts through different worlds, each more surreal and dreamlike than the last. He fought off the feeling of sleep though because Naruto wanted to cherish the moment. No one had ever given him attention like this and he had no idea when it would happen again, so he sure as hell didn't wanna sleep through it.

Time seemed to drag on as Mirajane hummed softly to him, never stopping her tender ministrations. It could have been hours for all the blond knew when he hazily realised the singing had stopped. Opening one eye a tiny slit, he looked up and saw Mirajane smiling down at him beautifully. Through his sleep filled mind, he unconsciously thought she looked like an angel. Her hair glowed silver in the moonlight and framed her soft face perfectly. Her lidded eyes started down at him with an expression he couldn't quite place, but his sleepy mind couldn't be bothered trying to work out what it was.

It seemed she thought he was asleep though as she had taken to running her other hand up and down his arms. A tiny smile pulled at his lips at the sensation and he noticed it elicited a small, content sigh from the girl. He closed his eye again and shifted slightly so he was closer to her warmth. His eyes then drew open when he felt something pressing down on his forehead. Looking up, he saw Mirajane had lent in and was kissing his forehead tenderly. Watching her, a very light blush rose to his cheeks as he thought of the last person to do that to him. Tsunade-baachan had all but entrusted him with becoming Hokage in that kiss, so for Mirajane to mimic that must have meant she was trusting him with something too.

Leaning back, Mirajane's eyes widened as she saw Naruto looking up at her. Blushing in the moonlight, she turned her face away bashfully. "Oh, sorry! I didn't realise you were awake."

Naruto chuckled drowsily. "I knew you didn't. I don't mind though... I wouldn't have said no anyway."

Looking back at the sleepy teen in her lap, Mirajane smiled gently and slowly leaned in again.

XxXxXxX

Naruto and Mirajane now found themselves on top of the building next to Fairy Tail, their eyes cast out over the town as it slowly drifted off to sleep. Turning his eyes skyward, Naruto looked up at the strange constellations. The stars above seemed to grow a little bit brighter with every light that was switched off, replacing the artificial light with the soft glow of their own.

A cool breeze suddenly picked up as they sat in silence, its crisp embrace encircling the two people on the roof. Shivering, Mirajane rubbed her arms as the cold bit into her. Shuffling over, she huddled up against Naruto's side and sighed. Looking down at his company, Naruto's eyes softened and he chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her. "It getting a bit too chilly for you hey?"

Shaking her head, Mirajane leaned in and rested her head on the blonds shoulder. "Not now it's not. I'm just right. You're really warm."

Naruto shrugged and looked back up at the sky. "I suppose so. I never really noticed the cold unless it was snowing."

They then fell back into silence, simply enjoying the others company. Naruto sighed as his mind began to wander, his thoughts travelling back to his home and friends. He dearly missed them and was still incredibly worried about them, but for reasons he couldn't seem to control, he was feeling his desire to return slowly shrinking. By no means did he not want to go back, that was still his number one goal. He just found other things beginning to come into his line of focus and slowly detracting from his single-minded objective.

Looking down as the girl beneath his arm wriggled in closer, a melancholy smile slipped onto his face. It was people like her that were going to make it hard to go home. They had shown him such kindness in the short time he had been here that he had to find a way to return after fixing up the Elemental Nations.

Feeling his gaze upon her, Mirajane looked up at her protector from the cold. She quickly noticed the regretful smile on his face, the look so out of place to his usual bright grin that he wore. Frowning worriedly, she sat up. "What's wrong?"

Naruto shook his head and laughed as he was caught out. "Oh sorry, personal thoughts."

Mirajane shook her head. "Tell me anyway."

Taking a breath, Naruto looked out over the town. "I'm just thinking about having to go home. I know I have to, but I'll miss you guys!"

Swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, Mirajane shook her head again. "But... you'll be able to come back yeah?"

Naruto's usual determined grin quickly came back at this, reliving the girl somewhat. "Hell yeah! I wouldn't wanna never be able to see you again." He chuckled and looked down at her. "Besides, you got a promise to keep!"

Remembering her wish for him to never be lonely again, Mirajane felt a sudden urge rise up in her chest and she didn't fight it. Completely catching the blond off guard, his eyes widened in surprise as the girl leant up and pressed her lips against his own. His shocked gaze rested on her closed eyes, not even breathing for fear of ruining something. She looked so fragile, so vulnerable, so delicate that it felt like if he even blinked he would break her.

After what felt like an eternity, Mirajane pulled away, a beautiful blush adorning her nose in the starlight. Smiling up at the blond, she reached out and cupped his cheek carefully. "I did make a promise and I plan to stick with it. No matter where you are, you'll never leave my thoughts."

Dropping her hand, Mirajane pulled Naruto's arm back around her shoulders and snuggled down into his chest. Watching the girl with wide eyes, Naruto didn't even notice his other arm come around to offer further warmth to the girl. The emotions that now swirled around his head were unlike anything he had ever felt.

What was this? What did it mean? Was that right? He seemed to be stuck looping over those questions and more for what felt like hours before he regained some form of consciousness. Finally taking a shaky breath, Naruto closed his eyes and felt a smile twitch his lips.

Damn the questions. For now, he'd just accept what happened, happened and bask in the afterglow of the kiss.

XxXxXxX

Finding himself waking up in the spare bed at Cana's house, Naruto yawned, stretched and then scratched his head as he tried to remember last night. He remembered the boat ride, the rooftop, the _kiss, _but then after that it got hazy.

He did remember walking Mirajane back to her place and getting a hug goodnight, but most other details were a bit blurry. Yawning again, Naruto held his head as he sat up, a bit of a headache struggling to make itself known before the regenerative strength gifted him by the Kyuubi killed it.

Stretching again, the blond shivered as he felt his back pop. Dropping his arms, he wandered out into the kitchen and found Cana sitting at the table, hunched over a cup of coffee. Looking up, she raised an eyebrow and whistled. "My, my Naruto! I was not expecting to see you up so early. Feeling ok?"

Naruto nodded and dropped into the chair opposite. "Yeah, I feel great! By the way, what time did I get in last night?"

Chuckling, Cana pushed him over a cooling cup of tea. He didn't really like the bitter flavour of the stuff Cana was drinking. "Not too late. Do you remember what happened last night at all though?"

Looking up in remembrance, a light blush rose to his cheeks and he smiled like a dork. "Yeah... me 'n' Mirajane had a good night."

Laughing, Cana reached out and slapped his shoulder. "That you did! I saw you two on the roof."

She winked at the blond and laughed when he looked down in surprise. "What did you see?"

She sat up happily, looking like she had just found something she could use to blackmail him with. "Oh, enough I'd say."

Grinning, Naruto's eyes thinned. "Yeah, you definitely know I had a good night then. I can't wait to see her again!"

Laughing, the girl leaned in. "Awww have you got a crush now?"

Biting his lip, Naruto frowned in thought. "Well, I dunno what you'd call it but it feels pretty good."

Raising her mug in his direction, Cana nodded her head. "Indeed it would. That was our reason for the celebratory drinks last night!"

Naruto blinked. "Is that what happened after I got home?"

The brunette nodded. "Yup and after the amount you drank, I'm surprised you didn't wake up tomorrow."

Naruto chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "Yeah, well I kinda have a good metabolism. Flushes my system pretty well."

Pouting, Cana took another sip of her drink. "I hate you. Do you have any idea how long it took me to build up my resistance to alcohol?"

Laughing, Naruto swallowed the rest of his. "Nope, but I'm guessing a while. So, what's for breakfast?"

Leaning back in her chair, Cana looked at the kitchen. "I dunno. You making me breakfast?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "I thought that was when you were in bed?"

Hearing a chair scrape, Naruto looked down just as he heard the squeak from her mattress as a body landed on it. "What are you talking about? I am in bed!"

Chuckling, Naruto resigned himself to kitchen duties and pulled himself to his feet.

XxXxXxX

After a hearty breakfast, Naruto and Cana had come in early to the guild to meet up with Erza. The woman usually arrived early as it was, but today was a special occasion. Naruto was especially eager for more reasons than one. Stepping in, they saw Erza pacing around nervously.

Raising a hand, Naruto called out happily. "Erza! Keen for today?"

Startling slightly, the redhead looked over and swallowed. "Naruto! Cana. Yes, I suppose I am. Where will be headed to today?"

Waving her closer, Naruto lowered his voice so the few sleepy mages that were turning up couldn't hear. "I wanna head out a bit further from where I normally train. There's some good mountains out there that will provide cover."

Nodding in relief, Erza visibly relaxed. Cana however was growing suspicious and narrowed her eyes. "What exactly is this then? You still haven't told me."

Naruto looked over. "I don't really wanna reveal it here and neither does Erza. If you want to find out, come with us. It's not like you have to participate if you don't want to."

Relieved that they weren't going to force her into something painful, Cana sighed happily and placed a hand on her hip. "Alrighty then, how about we get a move on then?"

Grinning oh so happily, Naruto nodded. "Indeed, let's!"

XxXxXxX

The trio now found themselves in a nice secluded place amongst a number of tall rocks that provided plentiful amounts of protection from wandering eyes. Cana and Erza stood before Naruto, one wondering about what was going on and the other wondering if they'd be able to handle it. Naruto meanwhile just stood before them silently. He let the tension build up a bit before starting off things.

"Alright! Now Cana, what I will be teaching Erza today, and hopefully you, is the fine art of physical distraction."

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Explanation please for those of us that don't know what you mean?"

Holding it together well, Naruto raised a finger. "My pleasure! When I was younger, I happened across a technique that seemed to be the ultimate ability for buying you some time to escape, attack or interrogate. Do you know what that is?"

Cana sighed at the roundabout explanation. "No, please enlighten me."

Naruto smirked and crossed his fingers. He went up in an explosion of smoke and suddenly Naruto was now his female counterpart, a few whisps of smoke covering her modesty. Cana instantly snorted in surprise while Erza looked on, a blush spreading across her cheeks but keenly hanging onto every word. Laughing, Naruto continued in a higher, womanly voice. "It is the female body! Even you were instantly effected, and don't try deny it."

Blushing slightly, Cana turned away in a huff. Erza just nodded and motioned for him to continue. "There is the classic, jump em while you're naked routine. That's good for shock factor, but to really milk it, you gotta 'accentuate' parts."

As he spoke, he brought his finger up to his lip, squeezing the new amounts of flesh between his arms and widening his eyes exponentially. He also let out a little innocent squeak to compliment the look. He couldn't hold it for long though as Erza's face lit up bright red and Cana's single watching eye nearly filled her face in shock. Bursting out laughing, he held his stomach and struggled to bring him mirth under control. He was the teacher after all.

Wiping away a tear, Naruto sighed. "You see? Just doing that can distract even other women. So just think about what it could do to the men in Fairy Tail."

Both women instantly thought back to the guild. They weren't too sure how well it'd work on someone like Natsu, but on someone like the guild Master...

Instantly alert, Erza stepped forward. "Please let me know if I am doing it right."

Fireworks instantly went off inside Naruto's head as the blond nodded sagely. This was the moment he had been waiting for. Schooling his features the way his old master had explained, Naruto crossed his arms over his sizeable chest and waited. Cana also looked over, curious to see what the resident swordswoman could come up with. She seemed to take a few breaths and fidget about a bit as she slowly grew redder. After a minute or two, Naruto could swear he could almost see steam shooting from her ears.

Finally though, Erza crossed her arms and looked away. "I-I can't do it."

'NO!' Instantly panicking, Naruto tried to salvage what he could. "I don't understand why though? I'm currently a girl and there's no one else around. Besides, back before you defended the guild from that Jupiter blast, you dropped that towel and ran up naked in front of everyone."

The woman's eyebrow twitched slightly as she remembered. She didn't say anything though. Not one to be discouraged though, Naruto held his hands out. "That's alright though! Not every woman is able to do something like this. It takes many hard years of killing your modesty. You could however, try the other use. You'll probably find it a little more like what you're used to."

Raising his hands, Naruto crossed his fingers and went up in a cloud of smoke. Erza looked over and frowned in thought when she saw the latest change. Naruto was now clothed, if barely by a purple, two piece outfit. Long, bicep length gloves and thigh length boots covered his limbs. His bust was concealed just behind a tight, three pronged bikini top, the points of each facing inward and only just preventing from anything being shown. Tiny shorts covered his lowers with a devil's tail poking out from the back. To compliment the look, Naruto had a hair band on with two little black horns poking out from the top.

Grinning as he saw Erza's interest, he placed his hands on his hips successfully. "This is the second type of distraction! Sometimes more is less, if you know what I mean. A naked attack is all well and good, but something like this will make a guy obsess over what is beneath, right up until he can't even think straight."

He then pointed at the horns. "This also gives the bad girl look a bit of a kick as it makes me look like I'm easy. Men get pretty loose tongues when presented with something like this."

Studying Naruto's state of dress, Erza raised her hand to cup her chin in thought. "Yes... I understand you're reasoning. It is also... more acceptable to me. Perhaps I could try that."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! So do you have anything you could try in your requip warehouse?"

Nodding, Erza began to glow. "I believe so."

Starts began shining in Naruto's eyes as he eagerly awaited the transformation. It only lasted a moment before the light was replaced by a simple, black two piece bikini. Drawing her hands down her body, Erza looked over at Naruto. "How is this?"

Naruto nibbled his lip and narrowed an eye. "Hmmm... not bad, but we can make it better. Firstly! Underboob. Underboob works amazingly, so pull the top up a bit to reveal a bit more of the bottom."

The blond then pointed at the generous amounts of flesh that was visible from the bottom of his top. Finding herself blushing yet again, Erza gripped the top and hesitated slightly. Suddenly thinking of something to help with the discomfort, she spun around to look at Cana. "Cana! Won't you try this with me? You're much more used to displaying large parts of your body."

The brunette had until then been watching the scene with varying degrees of amusement. Initially she had been shocked that Naruto would have even suggested something like that, but Erza's discomfort as she tried to learn this 'technique' was just too good to miss. Now that she was the center of attention though, she was beginning to regret her choice to stay. "Well, I'd rather watch the master help you out, ya know? I mean, we came out here for you!"

The air seemed to darken around Erza. "Please Cana, won't you assist me with this?"

Shrinking into herself, Cana internally began crying. She didn't wanna! Her desire to not get beaten up by an emotionally unstable teen however was significantly greater. Looking over at Naruto, she narrowed her eyes as she scrutinised the temporarily blond girl. She didn't seem to look like she cared, hell, she was picking her nails in disinterest. Sighing, Cana nodded unhappily. "Fine, but you owe me a drink."

The aura around Erza seemed to fade and the girl smiled. "Just this once for helping me out."

Meanwhile, Naruto's heart was racing a thousand miles a minute. Erza had actually ordered Cana to help her out with fixing up her top. It couldn't get much better than this! When they actually started picking at the fabric that covered their modesty, it was all Naruto could do to continue looking indifferent and not fly away via a blood cannon. Experiences with Jiraiya had shown him that letting the creepy, perve face show was the fastest way to a slap and shattered dreams.

So, once his nails were suitably buffed, he looked up. Erza was now standing with her hands on her waist, feet slightly apart and a confident aura surrounding her. Cana was looking a little more ruffled, the girl grumbling to herself about something. Each had their bikini top pulled up ever so slightly and revealed just enough skin for it to be considered taunting.

Nodding, Naruto pointed at them. "Good start. You could always pull the top up more as more skin without actually showing anything equals a more flustered male. Tighter tops help this."

He then focused on Erza. "Erza, a question to you. How would you negotiate a situation where you needed information from a target?"

A long sword materialised in her hand and she pointed it at Naruto. "I would make them tell me what I needed to know!"

Naruto nodded. "Ok, that's one way. How about in a crowded area?"

The redhead cocked an eyebrow. "You mean to tell me the first scenario wasn't?"

Resisting the urge to slap his face, Naruto took a breath. "Ok then, Erza we gotta work on your feminine charms."

The girl huffed indignantly. "Are you calling me manly?"

Cana began backing away slowly as Erza growled at Naruto. Holding his hands up, the blond shook his head. "No, not at all! You just need to use them better. Currently you look scary. What you want is to look innocent, gentle, maybe a little bit teasing, but not scary."

Naruto began shrinking in on himself, widening his eyes and letting a little moisture wash over them. "You see the effect this has? It makes me look like I'm nervous and scared. You do that and your target thinks they have the dominance."

Frowning, Erza looked herself over. "Ok, so what else could help?"

Naruto had a quick think. "Brush a fair amount of hair over one eye. Yep, just like that. Now, face the ground and look up through your fringe. Widen your eyes a touch... lovely. Now hunch your shoulders forward, accentuate your cleavage... and look at you now!"

The whole demeanour of the fiery woman had changed from a strong, imposing warrior to a shy, unsure girl just looking for attention. Remembering to control his drool, Naruto nodded. "Perfect. If you tried that on any male, even me, I'd have trouble remembering to keep my mouth shut."

Frowning, Cana then decided to speak up. "That actually makes me wonder, why isn't it affecting you the way you said it should? You haven't so much as flinched!"

Naruto placed his hands on his hips proudly. "Cana-chan, I have been forced into strip clubs with my perverted old teacher more times than I care to count. This is nothing I can't handle."

Suddenly a fire seemed to light in Erza's eyes. "So, you say that you are more resilient than the average male?"

Looking over, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yup, I'd say so."

Walking forward, the redhead began crossing her steps, also slowly starting to sway her hips while levelling him with a predatory gaze. Naruto froze and swallowed, the blond suddenly finding himself held captive by the woman. "If that is the case, then if I can successfully extract information from you, in theory I should be able to accomplish this with any male."

Walking up, she poked a finger into his sternum. "Isn't that right?"

Breaking his gaze, Naruto looked over to Cana. The brunette was just grinning at him. "She's right you know."

Turning back to the redhead, Naruto steeled himself. It looked like he had to get his hands dirty. "Fine! If you can successfully charm some information of my home out of me, you can consider yourself passed."

Erza nodded confidently, but then backed off slightly. "Before I start though, please return to your male form. It is... awkward interrogating a female like this."

Hearing a bark of laughter from Cana, Naruto shrugged. "Whatever's easiest."

Returning to normal Naruto, the blond crossed his arms and stared down at the alluring woman. "Do your worst."

XxXxXxX

Ten minutes in and Erza was growling. Nothing she could seem to think of could budge him! She'd tried sexy whispers, body contact, promises... anything she could think of that didn't involve violence simply because Naruto strictly prohibited it after she pulled a sword on him within the first few seconds.

She looked at the blond in frustration. "I don't get it! Here you say all males have their weakness, yet I do everything I can think of and yet you don't give me anything! Have you been lying to me?"

Naruto chuckled. "I never said this would be easy. Go try it on the Master. If anything, he'd be a level one if there were grades for something like that. Gray and Elfman would be harder and Natsu would be harder again, if only for the reason he wouldn't understand what was happening."

Frowning, Erza pointed at him. "So you didn't just have me parading around in my bikini for no reason?"

Naruto shrugged. "I wouldn't say I didn't like it, but if you don't believe me, go try it on one of them."

Huffing, Erza crossed her arms. Looking over at Cana, she frowned. "What would you do in such a situation? This is quite out of my normal depth."

Raising an eyebrow from her seat on a rock, Cana placed a finger on her chin. "Well, I'd first drink them under the table, then get what I wanted out of them with a couple of sly comments and a wink and be on my way."

Naruto nodded appraisingly. "Good! Fine idea, alcohol is a brilliant tongue relaxant."

Erza quickly decided it was worth trying and looked over at Cana. "How much alcohol do you have on you? And don't say none because I know you are lying. I want to see what I can do with a bit of that."

Cana laughed and pointed at the blond. "Erza, you can't handle a glass of the stuff. Naruto however can keep up with me. If anything, two shots into the night and you'd be spilling all _your _dirty little secrets to him!"

Blushing as some of those dirty secrets came to mind, Erza shook her head. That was reason enough to abandon the idea. Sighing in defeat for the moment, Erza stepped back. "Well, for now I am out of ideas. Do you wish to have a go Cana?"

Looking at the stubborn teen, Cana narrowed her eyes slightly. While she was never really into anything like that, she was curious to see how well she went against the resilient boy. Nodding slowly, she stood up and dusted her pants down. "Yeah... I'll give it a crack."

Taking the redheads place, Cana looked into Naruto's eager eyes. Rolling hers, she could clearly tell he was enjoying this a lot more than he let on. She couldn't blame him though. What male wouldn't be happy after having someone like Erza performing all sorts of promiscuous acts to them?

Still, Cana wasn't about to go and do something like that. She didn't have the boldness required. No, her trick was a little something she learnt on her travels; a certain spot called the sweet spot. Everyone had one where if you tickled them just right, they'd sing. Looking Naruto over, she tried to find a possible spot. "You don't mind if I touch your face or anything like that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nup. Go for it."

Smirking, the brunette reached out and ran a finger down the outside of his ear. All she got out of that was a raised eyebrow. Moving her hand down his spine, she tried a soft rub at the base of his neck. Still nothing. Frowning, the teen tried a few more places.

After a couple of attempts at the usual 'hot spots', Cana had her hand to her mouth as she frowned in thought. The boy didn't seem to have any nerve endings because he didn't even flinch when she tickled him. Looking curiously at his cheeks though, she moved in to see them better. They were legitimate marks in his skin, the darkened marks sinking maybe half a millimetre into his flesh. Reaching out, she traced a nail down them. Her eyes widened then as she actually felt something twitch beneath them.

Grinning, she turned to Erza. "I think I may have just got something!"

The redhead quickly ran up and watched on. Cupping Naruto's cheeks, Cana let her hands slide down them and along the scars. A shiver instantly coursed Naruto's body and his eyes lidded somewhat. "Awww that feels nice..."

Eyes twinkling at the prospect, Cana began drawing her fingers down Naruto's cheeks. "So, you like that huh?"

Naruto nodded as a strange noise rumbled around in his chest. Raising her fingers so the nails were gently dragging, she repeated the process. "So what's home like huh? I don't think I've even heard you talk of it."

Naruto sighed into the fingers. "Not telling."

Frowning, Cana began stroking his cheeks with her open palm. "You sure about that?"

Instead of an answer, the rumble in Naruto's chest churned about for a second before being breathed through his nose. Naruto instantly froze in horror as Cana suddenly bit off a laugh. Erza seemed like she was chuckling too. Furrowing her eyebrows, Cana struggled to stop laughing. "Did... did you just... purr?"

Naruto's face lit up like a lantern as Cana instantly burst out laughing, her loud barks being complimented by Erza's own softer one. Growling in embarrassment, Naruto shook his head. "Nah, it wasn't! What are you talking about, that was a growl, dattebayo!"

Squealing, Cana reached out and wrapped Naruto up in a hug as she continued to laugh out loud. "And now even that adorable little catchphrase! You are just too _cute!_"

Quickly finding things backfiring, Naruto stomped his foot. "I am not! Let me go!"

Pushing Cana off him, the brunette just continued to laugh, now using Erza as a support to hold herself up. "Awww the little Orange Rocket all cranky now?"

Growling in frustration, Naruto shook his head. "Don't call me that! It has to be the crappest nickname ever!"

Falling over, Cana now lay on the grass as she held her stomach, fits of laughter wracking her body. Now positively glowing, Naruto quickly created a clone which picked up Cana and took off running towards the town. Turning to look back at Erza, Naruto sighed. What a way to ruin a perfect moment. Who would have guessed he could purr though, of all things? Stupid fox traits. Foxes don't even purr!

Crossing his arms in a huff, he looked away as Erza wiped away a tear and smiled. "Ah Naruto, you are such a funny character sometimes. I think that has effectively brought out training to an end though, so I guess it is time we began yours."

Glowing, Erza quickly replaced the bikini with her usual torso armour and blue pleat skirt. Reaching out, she ruffled Naruto's hair and began walking back towards Magnolia. "Some now, we agreed to try and work out a way to increase your requip speed did we not?"

Grumbling to himself, Naruto kicked a rock into the distance and sighed. "Yeah, we did. Might as well get onto it now."

XxXxXxX

Walking back to the guild, Naruto found the place fairly normal. His clone had taken Cana back to her place and locked her in her room so no one could find out about the 'incident'. Childish, yes, but you can't deny the effectiveness.

Wandering in, they saw most mages collected around a board, all of them studying it intently. It seemed like the job board was open again after its temporarily closure. Seeing Mirajane at the counter, Naruto grinned and ran over. "Mira-chan! Good to see you!"

Instantly brightening, the girl reached out an arm and gave the blond a hug. "It's good to see you too! What have you been doing all morning?"

Naruto seemed to phase out a little at this as he remembered the first half of the day. "Training..."

Giggling, Mira closed an eye and looked up at him. "Is that so? And why wasn't I invited?"

Instantly a tiny amount of drool slipped from his lips at which he quickly sucked up. "Well, I can organise a catch up lesson if you want?"

Mirajane giggled again and shook her head. "No, no need for that. I would however, take another date..."

Coming back, Naruto blinked several times. "Another...?"

Rolling her eyes, she flicked the teen with her towel. "Yes, dah! Last night was perfect and I'd love to do it again."

A small smile slipped onto Naruto's face. Yeah... yeah, it had been a date! It mightn't have started out like one, but it sure ended like the ones he had seen. Nodding happily at the revelation, Naruto grinned broadly. "Yeah, sure! I'm super keen to go out again!"

Suddenly, Erza slipped up beside them, a serious look on her face. "What's this I hear about dates?"

Startling, Naruto went to say something but was cut off by Mirajane. "Oh, just a little thing we did last night. I really liked it so I asked if he'd like to do it again!"

Frowning, Erza nodded. "Indeed. That is a very good idea. Naruto! Would you want to go out with me then!"

The blond's brain melted. Looking over at Mirajane for help, he saw the girl glowing a soft black. He wasn't quite sure if it was his imagination or not, but whatever it was, he could feel it was pulling at something within him.

The barmaid kept a happy face, but her words seemed to have a bit more bite to them than usual. "Oh, I'm sure that's ok with Naruto! I do believe we were just organising something for the next week or so, so I'm sorry but you'll have to wait your turn."

Naruto could swear he just felt his brain run out his ears. Mirajane was actually allowing this? Didn't girls usually fight tooth and nail over something like this? That's what Ero-Sennin always said!

While usually pretty good at knowing what to do in a situation with women due to the nature of his teacher, this time around though Naruto had absolutely no idea so wisely decided to stay quiet.

Erza seemed mostly oblivious to the strange aura being directed at her, and turned to look at Naruto with a smile. "Fine then! We shall organise something in a week. For now though, let us see what we can do about your training."

Finding something he understood, Naruto grabbed at the opportunity and nodded vigorously. "Uh, yeah! Sorry Mira-chan, Erza was helping me out with a faster sealing method. We'll just be at one of the tables though so if you wanna come have a look we'll be right there."

Instantly all sunshine and lollipops again, Mirajane gave Naruto a beautiful smile. "No problem! I hope you work something out!"

Grinning, Naruto raised a hand and waved. Turning around, he then came nose to nose with a certain striking blond he didn't really like all that much. Frowning, Naruto crinkled his upper lip like he smelt something bad. "Get out of my face, Laxus."

Smirking, the strangely dressed man stood up straight. "Oh, that cut me deep noob. Not even a hello? Surely you must have more respect for your superiors."

Naruto growled and tried to push past him. Laxus just shifted so he was standing in his way again. Clenching a fist, Naruto looked up. "Move."

Laughing, Laxus shook his head. "Why don't you try make me, oh great _wizard._"

So that's why he was here. Erza instantly picked up on this and placed a hand on each males arm. "Let's not talk about this. Come Naruto, we have things to do."

A sudden spark shot out from Laxus's arm and Erza recoiled with a sharp squeal. Holding her hand she glared at him. "That was unnecessary."

Laughing, he cast a gaze over the woman. "Keep your nose out of our business. Men are talking."

Looking down, Laxus's grin dropped when he saw Naruto walking over to Erza and pulling her away. Growling, a sudden crack echoed through the room as Laxus transformed himself into pure electricity and jumped in front of the two. The noise had been enough to instantly hush the guild and everyone was now watching the three powerful humans as they faced off.

Keeping his eyes down, Naruto managed to grate out, "Move Laxus. I'm not interested."

Growling at being ignored, the tall man whipped out a hand and roughly grabbed Naruto's chin, pulling his burning eyes up to meet his own. "You might want to look at me when you're speaking to me, boy."

Having had enough, Naruto's hand flashed up faster than most could see and smacked away the hand. Even Laxus's eyes widened when everyone realised he had actually managed to make contact with the resident lighting mage. "One last time for you who can't understand simple instructions. Get. Out. Of. My. Way."

Laughing nastily, Laxus poked Naruto in the chest, right where he had his badge pinned. "Ha! You trying to order me around, _sir?_"

Naruto just continued glaring at the taller man. It quickly infuriated him and he suddenly lashed out, grabbing Naruto's shirt and pulling him easily off the ground. "You don't deserve that title! I DO!"

Spinning around, Laxus threw Naruto high into the sky and way out of Magnolia's borders. Hearing a horrified cry behind him, he turned to see Mirajane running for him. "No, don't do it Laxus!"

Laughing, Laxus watched as she neared him. "I'm just out to prove a point. Be back with your darling boyfriend soon."

And just as she reached out to grab him, he dematerialised and shot off in a bolt of energy in Naruto's direction.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – ok, you will all hate me for where I stopped, but I got a point to prove. I got a couple of 'Oh nos the cliffy!1!' last chapter, so I just wanted to show I could do a hundred times worse mwahahaha._

_Bow before the cliffy._

_Anyway, I hope you liked the fluff. I think that's the first serious fluff section I've written so hopefully it will be well received. Let me know if you liked it or not! And also any constructive criticism to help me improve my fluffiness._

_So yeah, Naruto vs Laxus next chapter. I wonder who will win?_

_Chat then._

_Lanky Nathan_


	19. Chapter 19

Naruto flipped along from the force of the throw. The actual action itself had surprised the blond as he'd expected a punch or something along the lines of that. Getting hurled into the air wasn't in the plan and the rapid flipping of the ground/sky/ground/sky/ground/sky was quickly making him feel sick.

Trying to work out just how far the arrogant man had thrown him, Naruto tried to spot anything familiar, but it all blurred past too fast. Frowning as the wind whipped around his clothing and hair, Naruto swallowed as his stomach tried to push its contents back out his mouth. 'I gotta do something to stop this. Not only might I get hurt, but I'll get sick all over my clothes.'

Stretching his legs out, Naruto forced chakra into his feet and out into the surrounding air. While he couldn't stand on it yet, the chakra effectively acted like an air break and managed to slowly halt his uncontrolled flipping. Finally catching a glimpse of the ground, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw himself passing over his training grounds. 'Holy crap... did he really throw me that far?'

_Finally_ pulling himself to a stop, Naruto's stomach let out a weak cry of happiness as everything stopped spinning. He wasn't given a chance to breath as a thunderous crack rang out right in front of his face. Appearing from nowhere, all Naruto saw was Laxus's smug smirk before a massive punch landed itself square in the middle of his face and sent him catapulting away.

Growling in pain, Naruto felt his nose fold in on itself. He let his healing ability take control from there and pushed the pain to the back of his mind as he tried to work out where he was going to land. Thankfully the punch had just pushed him back instead of making him flip because that would have been too much for his stomach.

Looking over his shoulder, the blond could see the mountains in the distance quickly drawing near. He didn't know if he'd make it quite that far, but he was going to be close no matter what.

Unfortunately, another crack above him notified Naruto to the other blond's arrival. His blue eyes flashed up to see Laxus rearing back a fist and he rapidly brought his guard up. The punch crunched into his arms and sent him flying straight for the ground. The force of the attack also made Naruto begin flipping around again and the blond didn't even have time to try stop before his legs hit the ground. A dust and rock explosion went up around Naruto as he was buried up to his waist in the earth.

Outside the dust cloud, Laxus flashed into view via another one of his lightning bolts. Grinning angrily, he began walking into the dust. "So, is this all that a mighty Wizard of the Ten Saints can do? Seriously? Because you might have well given the title to Natsu if that's it. Ha, actually he can take a better hit than that!"

Instead of a biting remark or angry retort that Laxus expected, a strange heaving sound reached his ears.

"BLERGH!"

Something wet hit his shirt and as the dust cleared, Laxus's eyes widened in fury and disgust as he spotted a strange oatmeal coloured patch on his chest. Enraged eyes looked up and he spotted Naruto wiping his mouth, a queasy look on his face. "Awww that was so gross... why'd you have to make me flip so much?"

Screaming in fury, bolts of energy exploded from the tall man as he lashed out at Naruto. Falling backwards, Naruto pulled his legs from the ground and kicked straight up, catching Laxus fair to the chin. The blow knocked him high into the air, but not with enough force to stun him. Flipping back, he landed on his feet and glared at Naruto as he pushed himself up.

Naruto sighed as the nausea left and he looked up. Seeing the death glare he was receiving, Naruto growled. "What is your problem aye? Other than me throwing up on you."

Despite wishing to rip the infuriating child's head from his shoulders, Laxus calmed himself and smirked. "My problem? Oh, no problem really. I just find people over looking my power annoying, that's all."

Scrunching up his nose, Naruto gave him a disbelieving glare. "Are you serious? Everyone in the guild already knows you're the strongest!"

Narrowing his eyes, Laxus growled. "Apparently not because the council saw fit to give you that badge instead of me!"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Well dur, earth to Laxus, I kinda defeated Jose! If you had actually been there you might have had the chance!"

Laxus growled at the insult, but then a strange light seemed to fire behind his eyes and he smirked cruelly. "So... that would mean then if I killed you, I should get that badge."

Lowering his center of gravity, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I thought Fairy Tail members didn't kill?"

Laxus snickered. "No, that was an unspoken law Erza decided to enforce. It ain't official and I don't happen to care if someone weak lives or dies."

That took things to a whole other level. Raising his hands, Naruto frowned. "And you would go out of your way to kill someone like that?"

Laxus snorted. "Pfft no, who would waste the effort? You though... you're definitely worth the effort!"

He then began chuckle as a bright gold light encircled him and effectively cutting him off from Naruto's view. Focusing on the light, Naruto readied himself for the attack.

"Where you lookin', noob?"

Eyes wide, Naruto felt a powerful elbow smash into the back of his head. He flew head first into a tree and consequently cracked the thick trunk. Shaking clear the stars, Naruto looked back over at the laughing man. He had moved so fast he hadn't even seen it.

Looking back at where he was originally, Naruto saw the ball of light fading that had once held Laxus. Looking back to the man, Naruto frowned. Standing up straight, the blond then let out an audible sigh. "Well that was weak. You need a distraction to get behind me. Is that really your best strategy?"

The jab cut Laxus's laughter short and the man glared over dangerously. "You really wanna try me boy?"

Naruto held his arms out wide. "One free shot. Do your worst."

While a risky gambit, Naruto had to see something. Training his eyes on Laxus, he saw the man's form explode into light. Suddenly Laxus was before him in less time than it took to blink, swinging in with a massive uppercut. Managing to jump just in time, Naruto cushioned the blow as it hit his gut and sent him flying, though with no serious injury. Focusing on landing, Naruto reached out with his feet and anchored himself to the trunk of a large tree.

Looking up as Laxus raged at him, Naruto frowned. Laxus had incredible speed, but there seemed to be a delay just before his attack. Again with a large crack, Laxus was before him as he kicked out at Naruto's head. Cutting the chakra to his feet, the ninja dropped just in time to avoid the powerful hit. The force kicked the the tree clean in half with a loud snap, birds shooting up from it with an annoyed scream as their roost was destroyed. Flipping, Naruto landed on his feet and quickly created several clones. Splitting up, the group dispersed into the trees.

Naruto could hear Laxus shouting angrily at the clones, calling him cowardly and weak amongst other things. Upon reaching a safe distance, Naruto managed to catch a moment to think things over. Laxus was fast, dangerously fast. His weakness within that though was the half second moment just before the attack. A normal mage or person could never hope to keep up with something like that, but for Naruto it was just enough time to counter.

Stilling himself against the tree, Naruto then took a breath and centered himself, letting the powerful energy surrounding him flow into his being. He felt calm wash over him and any lingering anger he may have had seemed to fade away. As the transformation completed, all that remained in the blonds mind was a calm, clear focus. Laxus may have had vastly different views to the rest of the guild, but he was still a member. It was time to try help shift his view on things.

Hearing a cry of frustration as the clones Laxus was chasing popped, Naruto stepped from behind the tree and called out. "Laxus! Over here."

There wasn't even a vocal taunt in reply, just a single crack of thunder and Laxus's rage filled face in Naruto's. What happened next though didn't quite go to the lightning mages plan. There was a flash of movement and he felt his punch get blocked before a counter hit smashed into his body, propelling him powerfully backwards through the trees.

Landing heavily, the powerful man rolled a few times before managing to pull himself to a stop. Glaring back up at the young teen, the mage pushed himself to his feet. Rubbing the spot he got hit, Laxus narrowed his eyes. "How did you hit me?"

Naruto looked at him passively. "I had enough time."

Laxus growled but it slowly turned into a chuckle. Straightening up, the mage flexed his fingers. "Huh, seems like the council didn't make that huge of a mistake after all. You're tougher than Natsu, that's for sure. You're nothing like me though."

Naruto said nothing and just waited. Chuckling again, Laxus crouched. "Let's cut down that time span then."

Vanishing in a burst of light, the mage shot forward, only to be sent flying back a second later with a loud crack. Hitting the earth again, Laxus let out a frustrated growl and spat out a wad of blood. Forgoing the energy attack, Laxus rushed him instead.

The single punch effectiveness of his **Lightning Rush **was for some reason being countered by the boy, so it was time for a good ol' fashioned beat down.

Eyes used to dealing with speeds as fast as light watched as Naruto readied his defence. Lashing out, Laxus watched as Naruto raised a hand in defence with barely a millisecond to spare. Flowing from that, Laxus spun around with a back elbow. He watched over his shoulder as Naruto dipped beneath the attack. His body suddenly turned to electricity as instinct screamed at him. A fist plunged itself into his body and was subsequently zapped with several hundred volts worth of energy. Not giving Naruto enough time to recover, he lashed out with a kick.

Raising and arm and leaning into the blow, Naruto stopped the leg easily and grabbed a hold of it. Pinching a bundle of nerves in the knee, Naruto heard a yelp but didn't stop there. Pulling Laxus in, Naruto shoulder charged him and drove his bone into Laxus's stomach and then up. The blow forced all the air from the mage's lungs and he gasped in pain. Orange eyes lined Laxus up for the final attack but a crackling beneath Naruto's feet distracted him.

All of a sudden, a bolt of lightning smashed into him from above, meeting with the rapidly forming current beneath him. Crying out as the electricity effectively stunned him into paralysis, Naruto grit his teeth and watched as Laxus jumped back while holding his stomach. Ignoring his gut, Laxus then held his palm out and gripped that wrist with his other hand. Shouting, a sudden torrent of blue edged balls of bright, sparking energy flew at Naruto. Unable to do anything, the ninja took the hits unguarded and was thrown back with a cry as they exploded. Hitting the ground, Naruto rolled several times before sliding to a stop.

Exhaling slowly, Naruto allowed the fox to heal the nerve damage and other wounds he sustained while refilling his source of natural energy. It only took a moment so Naruto was able to push himself to his feet in time to counter yet another attack flying in from Laxus. Batting a fist wide, Naruto raised a fist high and dropped it solidly onto the back of Laxus's head. Whether he cried out or not was unknown as the electric mage's head hit the ground that fast it looked like a blur. Taking the chance to jump back and shake off any lingering stiffness, Naruto watched as Laxus slowly pulled himself from the ground.

Sparks seemed to be going ballistic as mage stood up, arcs of electricity jumping from the man to anything within a ten foot radius. Something seemed to have changed with his eyes too, as they now had a strange glow about them that hid his pupils. His torso seemed to twitch as well as the sparks flew around him, his muscles seemingly bulging from the excess energy.

Frowning, Naruto spotted what looked like scales starting to form on his arms too. The hairs on the back of his neck also began prickling with the latent energy that was beginning to fill the air. Remembering a bit of what he was taught about elemental affinities, Naruto had the hunkering that electricity was weak against wind. He couldn't remember properly, but it was worth a shot.

Taking another leaflet from the fight with Erigor, Naruto let the natural energy within and around him begin to stimulate the air. Relaxing, the blond then let his heightened chakra control ease the air encompassing him into a tight whirl. Letting it pick up pace, Naruto fed some of his own wind natured chakra into the whirlwind to strengthen the bind between the air molecules.

Dust and debris began kicking up around the opponents as the power each displaced began affecting the nature around them. Sparks seemed to shoot from Laxus to Naruto and back again as the wind redirected the energy away from the blond within. Chuckling as he saw Naruto unaffected by his excess energy, Laxus stood up straight. "Well, I've had fun! You aren't the slouch I expected. I like the little whirl wind thing you got happening there to protect yourself from me too. It's cute."

Naruto frowned as the electricity began jumping between them at a higher rate. He didn't say anything though as he was more focused on the attacks to come. The cymbal sounding crashes of lightning around him had made him weary. His eyes were fairly well blinded by the amount of dust in the air but Laxus's power signature stood out like a beacon.

Hearing a loud rush of energy, Naruto focused on the form before him and frowned as he noticed a large amount of electricity forming in Laxus's raised hands. It charged rapidly and upon completion, the muscular man shouted out in effort and hurled the attack straight at Naruto.

Eyes widening as he felt the power flying off the compressed lightning bolt, Naruto dipped his head and crossed his arms over one another as he more than tripled the amount of energy into the wind barrier surrounding him.

An explosion went off a split second later and Naruto was swallowed within the bright light. Laughing cruelly, Laxus's eyes shone as he watched the spectacle. "Ha! You actually waited to take my **Heavenward Halberd **head on? You're making this too easy for me!"

Lightning flashed off the attack point as the lightning began rotating around the area. His laughter dying away, Laxus watched on curiously as it began spinning around faster and faster. In a sudden boom, the energy dissipated into the air and Naruto stood in the middle of a now sizeable hole drilled into the ground. His clothes were smoking slightly and his arms were blackened, but he was still breathing. Raising his head, the blond looked up at the mage. His eyes flashed and a second later he was standing in front of Laxus, a swirl of leaves rising in his former position.

"Wha-"

He wasn't given a chance to finish his question before Naruto lashed out with a wind coated kick. Gagging as he felt the wind rip at his insides, Laxus was flung backwards in a spiralling blast. That wasn't the end of it though as Naruto somehow managed to get behind him via that weird leaf whirlwind and stop him solid with an elbow to the middle of his back. Gasping as he felt his spine pop, the mage fell to the ground, unable to make up his mind whether he wanted to hold his back or his front.

While in pain, he was still coherent enough to hear Naruto begin growling behind him. "The fight is meaningless. I wouldn't have said no if you'd asked for a spar but instead you go do this. I'll stop if you stop, but be warned that I will break every bone in your body that won't directly kill you."

Anger filled the mages mind at the thought of this twerp talking down to him. Thrusting an arm into the air, Laxus howled as he forced his electrical power into the ground and up behind him in a heartbeat, right under where Naruto was standing.

Not expecting such a direct attack to explode upward out of the earth, Naruto only managed to back flip mostly out of the way. His legs however were caught in the powerful blast and he bit back a curse as he felt his muscles explode into painful spasms. A reverse kick from Laxus caught him mid air and threw him backwards. Rolling across the ground, Naruto coughed and pulled back in the air that had been booted from his lungs.

Looking at the ground as frustration really began taking hold, Naruto's head tilted to the side as his eye twitched. "Oh that's done it. To hell with being nice, he's going down."

Pulling himself to his feet, the ninja crossed his fingers and pulled a clone into existence beside him. Holding a hand out and began swirling chakra around, Naruto began creating his signature technique. His clone readied itself beside him to begin the nature manipulation, but a loud roar distracted them both. Looking up, Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as a thunderous explosion of brilliant electrical energy shot towards them like a bullet.

The clone dived behind Naruto as the blond reacted on instinct and raised his hands. Forcing chakra into the developing **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)**, Naruto felt the massive amount of energy flood the ball in his hands. Realising its creator was having trouble maintaining the **Rasengan**, the clone reached around him and held its hands out as it helped stabilise the crazily pulsating orb. Both Naruto's struggled for what felt like hours until the electrical blast finally halted. Once it finished, both blonds opened their eyes and gasped at the _thing_ in their hands.

Goosebumps ran up and down their arms as their hairs were pulled erect by the insane amount of electrical power pulsating in the ball. What should have looked like a typical **Rasengan** was instead a ball about twice the size and pulsing a brilliant, golden yellow. A number of rings of blue electricity circled the ball at a slow pace, orbiting around the ball on different axises. They would cross over from time to time and the dangerous hum the ball was giving off seemed to increase two fold. Swallowing, Naruto began to realise that this was most likely the electrical version of his original technique, the **Raiton: Rasengan (Lightening Release: Spiralling Sphere).**

All in all it was a spellbinding attack that was probably just as devastatingly destructive as it was captivating. Turning their eyes over to Laxus, they saw the man had his jaw dropped open in disbelief that his entire attack had been absorbed into that... _ball_. He shook his head though and growled angrily, "I will NOT be shown up by some beginner who hasn't even been in the guild an eighth as long as me!"

Lightning exploded from the man as he let out an enraged cry, his shirt stretching and ripping as his chest and arms began expanding even further. Watching on as the power continued to grow, Naruto then looked at the humming orb in his hand. If it was anything like the **Fuuton: Rasengan (Wind Release: Spiralling Sphere)**, it could probably generate enough power to kill a standard ninja or mage with ease. While extremely keen to try it out on something, Naruto knew now wasn't the time. The shockwave from it exploding would probably be enough knock Laxus back though, allowing Naruto the time to deliver the finishing blow.

Hearing the ground explode as Laxus kicked off, Naruto steeled himself and crouched in preparation.

As the massive man neared, Naruto raised his hand high and brought it down to hit the ground.

"**CUT THIS OUT!"**

A deafeningly loud voice boomed out across the entire area as two gigantic palms slammed into both fighters and sent them flying away at an extreme velocity.

The sudden interruption unfortunately caused Naruto to completely lose control of the sphere in his hands. It vibrated furiously for a moment before exploding with an earth shattering boom in his palms. Having his back to the ground, Naruto clenched every muscle possible as the unbridled power of the **Raiton: Rasengan **slammed him into the earth. That provided as much resistance as tissue paper as the blast bored out a hole into the earth with Naruto right in the middle of it. Reaching an astounding diameter of near twenty feet, it suddenly hollowed out as all the energy within was sucked into an infinite point with a sharp crack. The shell that remained seemed to groan before shattering into millions of pieces and vaporising into the air.

Unclenching an eye, Naruto looked up around him and took a shaky breath when he saw the enormous hole he was currently lying in. That was far beyond the power he had expected from the surprise attack. He could only thank his lucky stars that he had been in **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)** mode or he wouldn't have come out of that as unscathed as he did. As it stood though, his new clothes were completely trashed. What remained of his blue pants and shirt were nothing but a couple of crispy threads. Thankfully, there was enough to scrap together to cover his modesty but that was about it. While Naruto was happy his scroll with all his clothing had been left back at the guild and not destroyed, it was still frustrating he couldn't retrieve new clothes now. There was a lot to be said for Erza's requip ability.

Hearing a set of footsteps above him, Naruto looked up and saw Makarov glaring down at him from the rim of the hole. Neither spoke for a moment as they simply eyed off each other. Eventually though, Naruto broke the silence. "Where's Laxus?"

Never taking his eyes off him, Makarov pointed off to the side. "Over there and unconscious at that. I don't know what that was you were planning to hit him with, but when it detonated in your hands, the shockwave of it was enough to knock him out."

Frowning, Naruto looked down at himself. "I wasn't planning to hit him directly with it. I was going to use it as a way to distract him so I could knock him out. I severely underestimated how strong it was though."

Narrowing his eyes, Makarov crossed his small arms. "Why were you using an untested attack in a fight like that?"

Scratching his head, Naruto shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I had never created that thing before. Laxus shot some massive roar thing at me, much like what Natsu can do, and my **Rasengan** managed to absorb it. Actually... is Laxus like Natsu? A Dragonslayer?"

Sniffing, Makarov nodded slightly. "In a form. He was artificially created via Lacrima being forced into his body. Natsu was trained by a real dragon though. Are you injured?"

Sighing, Naruto winced as he pulled himself free from the rubble. "No, I should be alright I think. Nothing lasting anyway."

Makarov frowned. "Why weren't you as damaged as Laxus? You were twice as close as him."

Naruto pointed to his eyes as his orange eyelids slowly faded. "A by-product of **Senjutsu**. I become pretty durable."

Naruto flinched and held his left arm as a spasm ran through the muscle. It passed quickly though and he cautiously let go. "Do you know what happened back at the guild?"

Makarov nodded slightly again. "Erza and Mirajane informed me. You are _very_ lucky they supported you in this. After what I just saw, had you any part in riling up Laxus, I would have suspended you from the guild indefinitely."

Naruto frowned and growled softly, but he could see where he was coming from. That had been one hell of a light show that easily could have taken the mage's life. He wanted to know what was going to happen to Laxus, but knew it wasn't his business.

Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto tied the remains of his clothes around his waist and limped out of the hole. Upon reaching the lip, Naruto looked down at Makarov when he felt the guild Master lay a hand on Naruto's calf. "As it stands though... I'm extremely relieved that you are alright. Don't scare me like that again."

Suddenly at a loss for words, Naruto looked down at the old man with a new found respect for him. Unable to think of anything meaningful to say, the blond just swallowed and nodded. Dropping his hand, Makarov turned and walked over to his still grandson. Checking him over, he tutted softly. "Naruto, give me a hand carrying this nuisance back to the guild."

A small smile slipped onto Naruto's face and he walked over. Picking up the man, he settled him onto a comfortable place on his shoulder. A sudden thought entered Naruto's mind and he groaned unhappily as he slapped his hand to his chest. "Damnit, my Saints badge!"

"Oh?" Walking over to the hole, Makarov peered in before spotting something. Sliding down, the man grabbed a shiny little object and climbed back out. Holding his hand out, he smirked. "What, you think that little party popper would destroy it? These things are made for mages far more powerful than you or I. It can take a good hit and come out perfectly fine."

Grinning thankfully, Naruto attached it to his waist. "That is a massive relief. Who knows what the council would do if they found out I lost one of these things."

Chuckling, Makarov began walking down the road. "I don't think you'd wanna find out."

Nodding, Naruto stepped into line with him. "I'll trust you on that." Thinking back, Naruto then looked down at the Master. "So, those massive hand that hit us, that was you wasn't it?"

Looking up with one eye, Makarov shrugged. "So what if it was?"

Naruto shrugged in return. "Nothing, it just reminds me of a big boned friend I have back home."

Chuckling, Makarov looked back down at the road and kept walking.

XxXxXxX

By the time Naruto got back to the guild, he was sure half the men in the city hated him and half the women were even more perverse than his old teacher. He had never heard such open cries of 'Strip!' in all his life. It certainly boosted his confidence however and he wasn't ashamed to admit it.

Though he had a number of crusted over cuts covering his body and was generally looking absolutely filthy, Naruto strutted into the makeshift guild happily, a pleasant smile on his face. A number of mages looked over and stared disbelievingly as the mostly naked blond carried in their second most powerful mage over his should, the guild Master trailing behind him resignedly. Looking at Makarov, Naruto shifted Laxus around on his shoulder. "Where do you want him?"

Sighing, Makarov rubbed his head and waved at the back of the guild. "Just put him there out of sight. I'll deal with him when he wakes up."

Nodding, Naruto then began making his way through the sea of wide eyes. Sweat dropping at the number of jealous comments he was getting, he did his best to rush through the group. Finally making it through, he took one step and ran straight into Natsu. Flitting around him in awe, the energetic teen poked and prodded him as well as his cargo. "You beat Laxus? How the hell did you do that? I've been trying for years and can never scratch him! I bet you stuck your fingers up his butt hey. You're dirty. Maybe I should try that though? It is pretty powerful. Are you ok but? You're all covered in cuts and blood and stuff! You really must have struggled against him."

Recoiling from the rapid-fire questions, Naruto held out a hand. "Natsu, take a breath!"

Remembering his did in fact need air, Natsu sucked in a lung full and grinned. "So what ya doin' now?"

Shrugging, Naruto wandered around the back. "I dunno. After I drop this guy off I guess I'll need a shower."

Frowning, Natsu shook his head. "You don't need a shower, just go jump in one of the fresh water rivers. Works for me."

Considering the idea, Naruto then shook his head. "Nah, I can't. Mira-chan wants another date tonight so I better do something a bit more fancy than that."

Eyes widening, Natsu watched the blond drop the mage in awe. "You went on a date? Like, an actual date?"

Straightening, Naruto walked out with a grin. "Yup! Lucky huh?"

Placing a thoughtful finger to his mouth, Natsu narrowed an eye. "So, what did you actually do?"

The blond shrugged. "I dunno, hung out, talked, went for a boat ride..."

He then trailed off with a goofy smile on his face. Natsu didn't notice that though and frowned. "So, it was just like hanging out with her?"

Any answer he was to receive was cut off as Mirajane suddenly rushed over, having been told Naruto had returned. Checking over him worriedly, Mirajane fussed and hummed in concern. "Oh Naruto! Are you ok? I was so scared after Laxus threw you away! Where is all this blood coming from?"

Chuckling as her hands ran all over him, Naruto grabbed her wrists. "I'm fine! Honest! I'll be all better by tomorrow. You might wanna check on Laxus though..."

The name instantly got a sour response from the ivory haired girl. She puffed her cheeks out and frowned. "I probably should, but I'm not very impressed with him. What did he even do to you out there?"

Chuckling, Naruto scratched the back of his head as he toned the story down. "Oh, something like Erza's and Natsu's challenge, just a bit more... serious."

Narrowing her eyes at the blond, Mirajane scrutinised him for a moment. "I guess that sounds reasonable enough." Sighing, she suddenly wrapped the boy up in a hug. "I'm just so happy you're ok."

Letting go, she frowned. "Though we will have to get you some new clothes now."

Putting on a fake pout, Naruto looked down. "What, you don't like my body?"

A finger then traced itself down his chest and down his stomach. Looking up, Naruto's eyebrows raised at the heated flush on her cheeks. "Now I never said that did I? Just think of it as keeping prying eyes away from what's mine."

Dropping her hand, she winked at Naruto before giving a stunned Natsu a little wave and disappearing around the back to look at Laxus. Both teens stood still for a moment, watching where Mirajane had disappeared behind. A few seconds later, Natsu spoke up. "Your date is going to be awesome, isn't it?"

Naruto didn't miss a beat. "Oh hell yes it is."

"Oh, and your scroll thingy with your clothes in it is on the counter."

Looking over as Mirajane's voice floated out, the blond saw his portable wardrobe. Turning to face Natsu, Naruto held it up. "Well, I better go have a shower or something. Can't really change into clothes like this."

Nodding, Natsu moved in. "Can I come with you? I... wanna ask you something."

Shrugging, Naruto nodded. "Yeah sure."

Grinning, Natsu raised his hands to the back of his head. "Thanks! So, where ya gonna take a shower? The usual ones are all wrecked."

Naruto hummed in thought. "Hmmm, I could probably... oh CRAP."

Suddenly taking off in a wild sprint, Natsu cried out in surprise as the blond shot past him. Regaining his bearings, he took off in pursuit with an angry shout.

XxXxXxX

Naruto was sitting sheepishly in front of Cana, his head hung apologetically as the brunette stood before him. She had her arms crossed over her impressive chest and she was not looking at all pleased. "So? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Naruto whined and looked up. "I already said I'm sorry like a thousand times! I didn't mean to leave you locked in there so long, it was Laxus's fault for distracting me!"

Natsu stood towards the back of the room, snickering as Naruto was reprimanded. He laughed harder when Naruto's soft voice reached his super sensitive ears. "Traitor..."

Frowning, Cana dropped her hands to her hips. "Whatever. It still meant you left me locked in that room, WITHOUT ALCOHOL I MIGHT ADD, for who knows how long! How are you going to make it up to me huh?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno! I'd take you out or something but I got no money."

Cana raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say that? You don't strike me as the 'going out' type of guy."

Naruto scratched his head in frustration. "All you girls seem to like going out! I mean, first Mira-chan asks me out, then Erza does, so why wouldn't you?"

Eyes widening in surprise, Cana had to take a seat. "You mean _the_ Erza asked you out?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, but from everything I've learnt, girls hate guys who do multiple dates at once. You're a girl, can you tell me what's going on?"

Blinking one or two times, Cana shook her head. "Uh, I don't really know what those two think. They used to be worst rivals but now they're joining teams to bag you?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nah, not quite. Mira-chan seemed a bit... off when Erza asked, but still said yes."

Cana paused for a few moments before shrugging. "Well, I have absolutely no idea what's going on. That's all your problem boy. So long as you keep making me breakfast, I couldn't give two damns what you do with your spare time."

Sighing, Naruto scratched his head. "Well thanks for not helping. You might as well be a guy in a hot chick's body."

Smirking, Cana relaxed as a well overdue mouthful of her precious liquid entered her mouth. Sighing happily, she felt the tension leave her. "I haven't heard that one before, but I can see where ya comin' from. I'm a simple girl."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that you are. So, can I use your shower now?"

Frowning, Cana looked up at him. "Oi! What about your apology dinner?"

Eyebrows raised high, Naruto looked back at her. "You mean you want a date too?"

Snorting, Cana sunk another mouthful. Wiping her mouth, she chuckled. "I don't care what you call it, but free booze and a free meal is something I'd never pass up."

Sighing in relief, Naruto nodded. Not that he wouldn't mind her company, it's just he would have even less of an idea how to juggle three dates instead of two. Walking past Natsu, he saw the stunned look on the boys face and dropped a hand onto his shoulder. "Don't think too hard alright? It hurts."

XxXxXxX

Patting himself down happily, Naruto was back in his usual orange get up, his Konoha headband strapped securely around his forehead. His Saints badge was fastened securely to his chest in a position of pride.

Wandering out, he waved at Cana. "Thanks for that! I guess I'll go take a job or something and get saving."

Flapping a hand at him, she nodded absently. "Yeah, yeah. Just make sure you save a lot. You owe me an open bar tab at the least."

Sighing, Naruto just nodded and wandered out. Looking at Natsu, he gave him a weak smile. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"

Just then, Cana's angry voice screamed out the door. "NARUTO! WHY IS THERE WATER ALL OVER THE BATHROOM WALLS?"

Flinching, Naruto looked at the smirking pink haired boy. "First, we run."

XxXxXxX

Having successfully escaped from raging brunette, Naruto and Natsu now found themselves seated on a few steps beside the canal. Sighing, Naruto leaned back and looked over at his companion. "So, what did you wanna ask?"

Frowning slightly, Natsu lifted his hands and began poking his fingers together. "Well... you're like dating girls n stuff aren't you?"

Nodding, Naruto said nothing and waited for him to continue. "Um, I was wondering then... how do you ask out a girl?"

Eyebrows raising, Naruto sat up. "Like, a real girl?"

Glaring at the blond, Natsu clenched his fists. "Of course a real girl! What other kind is there?"

Holding his hands out apologetically, Naruto smiled disarmingly. "Sorry, sorry! I just didn't think you cared about girls like that."

Frowning in confusion, Natsu shook his head. "I dunno what you mean 'like that'. Mirajane seemed to like whatever you guys did when you went out, so I wanna see if Lucy wanted to go do something! She's been stressing a bit lately, so I wanted to help somehow."

Naruto nodded. "That's thoughtful of you. I didn't think you were that deep."

Natsu blushed and looked away. "Wh-whatever! I'm just doing this for Lucy."

Chuckling, Naruto leant back. "I know you are. So yeah... asking out a girl..."

Trailing off, Natsu leant in curiously. After a moment though, Naruto sweat dropped and scratched his cheek. "To tell you the truth, I didn't ask either of them out. With Mira-chan it just kinda happened, and Erza flat out asked me."

Groaning, Natsu puffed his cheeks out and rested his chest on his knees. "Well that sucks! It didn't help at all!"

Pulling himself up beside the teen, Naruto tried to recover the situation. "Now, now, not all is lost! I had the greatest womaniser in all of history as a teacher, so I got a couple of helpful tips up there whether I like it or not."

Natsu looked over unbelievingly to which Naruto frowned. "I do! My first tip, think of something she likes. What does Lucy like?"

Naruto trailed off and they looked blankly at each other. They held each other's questioning gaze for a while before Natsu spoke. "So? What does she like?"

Snorting in surprise, Naruto widened his eyes. "I dunno! That was a question to you!"

Staring back at Naruto incredulously, Natsu shouted in his face, "Well I dunno either!"

Groaning, Naruto slapped himself in the face. "Dude, honestly, you gotta know what a girl likes before you take her out!"

Moaning pathetically, Natsu slumped back. "Awww why does this dating thing have to be so _hard_?"

Not one to give up just yet, Naruto clapped him on the back. "Come on! Don't give up yet, think! What do you know she likes?"

Groaning, Natsu held his head as he tried to run through his memories of the girl. "Oh... I dunno... parties maybe? Singing, reading books, getting dresses and stuff... she seems to like getting naked a lot too, but I think that's just 'cause she's always in the wrong place at the wrong time."

A pleasant image entered Naruto's mind of Lucy with Gray's stripping habit, but he did his best to ignore it for the moment. Natsu still needed help. "That's a start... maybe take her to a karaoke bar? You can get something to eat there and then sing to some songs you like."

Natsu gave him a dead pan look. "That sounds really dumb. Why would I do that?"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto explained. "You wanna do something for Lucy right? So suck up what you do or don't like and do what she likes. Even if you don't, just keep quiet and do it anyway. I guarantee she'll like it."

Humming quietly to himself, Natsu considered the option. "Well... I suppose it could work. So how do I actually ask her out?"

Naruto sighed as he tried to think. "Well... just ask her. See when she's free then just invite her out."

Nodding, Natsu raised his head as he heard something. "Naaaaaaatsuuuuuu..."

Squinting, Naruto could make out a little blue object flying in, eyes closed in glee and paws outstretched. "I found you!"

Barrelling into the flame mage's chest, Happy looked up at him with wide eyes. "I just found a new river! It has all yummy fish in it, I saw a bunch of people catching them!"

Eyes widening happily, Natsu grinned. "Really? Where?"

A small paw pointed to the outskirts of town. "Just that way! You should have seen the fish! They were HUGE!"

The little cat stretched his paws as wide as possible to emulate the gargantuan size of the animals. Drooling, Natsu wiped his mouth. "You sure? This isn't just a river you forgot we'd already been to?"

He shook his head. "Nup! I'm forty-five percent sure we haven't been there before!"

Grinning, Natsu jumped to his feet. "Good enough odds for me! Let's go!"

"AH-AH!"

Hearing the negative cry behind him, Natsu and Happy turned to look at Naruto. "Oh! Naruto! I didn't see you, you wanna come get some taste fish too?"

Sighing, Naruto shook his head. "Not just now. Natsu, weren't you about to do something?"

The teen looked at him questioningly.

"Lucy?"

Eyes lighting up in remembrance, he sighed and looked at Happy apologetically. "Sorry little guy, I was just about to ask Lucy out to some sing-along bar."

Frowning in confusion, Happy looked up. "But... I thought she liked Naruto?"

"Eh?" Natsu turned a questioning gaze to the blond. He shrugged. "I dunno."

Looking back at Happy, Natsu frowned. "So, she likes Naruto?"

Now bewildered, the cat blinked in surprise. "Well, I thought so... do you like Lucy?"

Natsu nodded. "Of course! Not as much as I like you but. I just wanna help her stop being worried all the time."

Nodding thoughtfully, Happy placed a paw at his mouth. "Yeah... we should go to the river and get her a fish!"

The teens eyes lit up happily and he threw the cat into the air. "That's a great idea!"

"NATSU!"

Flinching, the boy looked over at Naruto. "Oh, right, sing bar."

Looking up at the now airborne cat, he grinned. "Well, maybe you wanna come along on the date too?"

Grinning broadly, the cat cheered. "Yay! A love triangle! Can we order fish?"

Rolling his eyes at the cat's fixation on his favourite meal, Naruto stood up and dusted himself down. "Well, I'll leave you alone then. So remember, whatever you do tonight, if you want Lucy to enjoy it, you'll do whatever she wants."

Natsu grinned. "Even if I don't like it?"

Naruto grinned back. "Especially if you don't like it. Now go find her!"

With twin calls of "AYE!", the cat and his boy took off in the general direction of the guild, all the while making a massive amount of noise and mess.

Watching triumphantly as they energetically destroyed everything in their path, Naruto nodded to himself happily. That hadn't gone so bad after all!

Stretching, he leisurely made his way back to the guild as he decided he'd take his first official job since arriving here.

XxXxXxX

Wandering up to the board, Naruto peered at it solidly for the first time. All over the board were slips of paper, some decorated nicely and others a little less so. Pawing over a couple, Naruto frowned. They all had various rewards plastered onto them, but all the well paying ones were in places he'd never even heard of. Hearing movement beside him, Naruto looked over and then up.

Standing beside him was a rather tall, dark skinned man with thick, black hair done up in an odd bob style. His black eyes were trained on the job board intently, his thick lips pursed in thought. Letting his blue eyes quickly drift down for a moment, Naruto saw he was wearing a necklace made up on little carved skulls that hung over a black with green trim vest. He had some weird tribal looking skirt thing on that covered his legs, looking like it was simply a couple of clumps of dried grass tied to his waist with a red belt.

Feeling the smaller males eyes on him, the man looked down. "Oh, Naruto! I didn't see you there!"

Sweating slightly, Naruto grinned awkwardly. "Oh, uh, hello..."

The big man's face fell slightly as he realised the blond didn't know his name. "I'm Nab."

Chuckling, Naruto scratched his head and held out his other hand. "Heh, nice to meet you!"

Taking it, they exchanged a quick shake before turning back to the board. Looking over it again, Naruto turned his gaze up to the tall man. "So, what are you looking for? I've never taken a job and you seem to always be over here looking, so I'd expect you'd have a good idea of what's the go."

Nodding, Nab let his eyes flow over the board. "I'm actually waiting for a mission that only I can undertake. For you however, I'd suggest something like this to get you started."

Pulling a sheet from the top right hand corner, the man handed it to Naruto. Nodding his thanks, Naruto looked at what was given him. It seemed to be a one time job down at the wharfs scrubbing boats down of barnacles and other such creatures. It was a workload based payment too, so the more you did the more you earned.

Grinning, Naruto rolled it up and stuck it in his pocket. "That's perfect. Thanks!"

Nab nodded and smiled. "No problem. If you ever need help again, just speak to me. I'll probably be right here."

Giving him a two fingered salute, Naruto turned and made his way toward the door.

"Naruto!"

Hearing his name called, he turned and saw Mirajane running up to him with a book in her hands. "You can't leave just yet!"

Turning, Naruto dropped an eyebrow. "Uh, why? Is there something else I need?"

Dropping the book onto the table, Mirajane nodded. "Yup! We keep a record of what jobs go in and out so we don't double book. Let me see that."

Handing the sheet over, Naruto waited as the girl flipped through the pages. Finding the job listed, she pulled a pen from her blouse and scratched Naruto's name beside it. Handing the job slip back, she snapped the book shut and smiled at him. "All set! Make sure you're not back too late though, we still have our date tonight!"

Giggling happily, the girl then twirled around and skipped away. Chuckling at the couple of jealous glares he was receiving, Naruto turned and wandered out of the guild.

XxXxXxX

Reaching the docks, Naruto stopped and looked around. Sailors were wandering about everywhere, some more drunk than others. Watching as the majority seemed to head for the bar, the blond shrugged and followed suit.

Pushing into the room, Naruto's nose crinkled as the strong smell of alcohol and tobacco hit him. Taking another look at the slip, he looked around. Spotting one sailor sitting by himself, he wandered over and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me, I'm wondering where I can find a mister... Donathan?"

Looking up, the gnarled man coughed. "Who wants to know?"

Nearly reeling back from the over powering sent of booze, Naruto steeled his face. Cana didn't stink that bad and she drunk as much or even more than these guys! "He posted a job in Fairy Tail and I came to do it."

Grunting in acceptance, he thumbed an arthritic hand over to the far wall. "He be the one in the center of that table."

Thanking the man, Naruto wandered over and stood before the rowdy group. The laughing men didn't seem to notice him standing there so Naruto cleared his throat. Dying down, they all turned their eyes to him. "Uh, I'm looking for Donathan? I took the job he posted at Fairy Tail."

A harsh laugh toward the back of the table drew his attention. "By yourself? Come now lad, I specifically requested a team or more. Run back home now and let them know I need a real group."

He may have been underestimated his whole life, but it still struck a chord with the blond. Slapping the paper down, Naruto frowned. "I can do it, I guarantee it."

Raising an eyebrow, Donathan looked him over. "If you can do all those boats out there, I'll eat my own boots."

Naruto extended a hand. "Willing to bet on that?"

Considering the hand for a moment, the grizzled old man then grinned. "Alrighty then boy. But if ya don't, what work ya have done is for free. Don't say I didn't warn ya."

Taking the extended hand, they shook. Standing, he dropped a couple of gold coins on the table. "Occupy yourselves until I get back mates. Shan't be long."

A joyful cry sounded out from the group and they all instantly raised their hands and summoned the overworked waitress. Following the man outside, Naruto observed the boats liked up. There were quite a number, all ranging in size from simple two manners, right up to open sea vessels. The man finally stopped and turned with a grin. Looking over the boats, Naruto nodded. "Alright, which one is it?"

Donathan's grin widened. "All of them my boy."

Looking at him in surprise, Naruto swallowed. "Like, _all _of them all of them?"

Laughing, the old sailor nodded. "Yup! I'll give you one last chance now to go back and find a group."

Cracking his knuckles, Naruto shook his head. "Nah, I'll be fine. I was just surprised how much you owned, that's all."

"Eh?" Frowning slightly, the man looked Naruto over. "Well... you got guts atleast. Not too sure about smarts though..."

Chuckling, Naruto brought his fingers up. "I've been told that before. Never stopped me though."

Focusing, Naruto tensed and Donathan let out a surprised cry as the entire area was suddenly flooded with identical replicas of the blond. More than a couple other sailors shouted out too, not at all expecting the sudden shrinkage of space. Turning to face his employer, Naruto grinned. "Should have this done in an hour or two."

His wide eyes stare was all Naruto needed in reply and with that, each of the hundred plus Naruto's withdrew a kunai and jumped off the wharf and onto the water's surface and got to work. The resultant shout of disbelief was music to his ears.

XxXxXxX

As said, about an hour and a half later a wet Naruto stood before the crowd of stunned sailors, every single boat picked clean of barnacles. Grinning, Naruto pointed at the worn, smelly boots of his employer. "I believe you have your half of the deal to uphold now."

Shaking his head slowly, Donathan let out a low whistle. "My boy... I have never seen anything like that in all my years of sailing. I don't particularly wish to eat these old boots either, if for the simple fact they're really comfortable. Might you take a bit of a bonus on top as payment instead?"

Smiling happily, Naruto nodded. "Sure! I'm not one to turn away something like that."

Nodding, Donathan turned and began walking back to the bar. "Just wait here then lad. I'll get you your reward."

XxXxXxX

A few minutes later, the crowd had dispersed after Donathan had shouted at them to get back to their own business. Looking around suspiciously, the man then pulled a rugged paper envelope from his coat. "You can never be too trusting. They might be good men, but they're always looking for an easy jewel. You take this and go straight home. Some of these men are fine pickpockets."

Chuckling, Naruto pulled his scroll out and placed the envelope on it. Placing his hand on it, he flowed chakra into the matrix and in a puff of smoke, the money disappeared. Tucking it away, he chuckled as the old man drew a wrinkled hand over his face. Shaking his head, Donathan extended a hand. "Well, you made a right fool of me. That'll teach me to think first next time. What was your name by the way? I never did catch it."

Shaking his hand, the blond grinned. "Naruto."

Nodding, the man let go and stepped back. "What a strange name... never heard anything like it. Well Naruto, you take care and expect to hear from me in the future. I'd be interested in using your services again."

Chuckling, Naruto raised his hand to the back of his head. "Yeah well, you know where to find me."

Nodding, the old man took a step back. "Aye, that I do. You run along now and keep that scroll thing of yours safe. Don't let anyone snatch it ya hear?"

Naruto grinned. "If they can catch me, they deserve it."

And with a short run up, the blond jumped up and onto the roof of the building and dashed away.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Ok, I may get questions as to why Naruto had such a tough time with Laxus. I may not. Either way, I'll give you reasons now so you don't need to ask me. However, if you have a question that I didn't answer, I give you permission to ask, but just this once. _

_1. Laxus IS S Ranked. He is no push over and to top it off, he's the second strongest in all of Fairy Tail ((minus Makarov) Edit - stop stressing people, I remember Gildarts. Who wouldn't? He's AWESUM! I say MINUS MAKAROV, meaning that without him, Laxus is second strongest after Gildarts. There, all better) so yes, Naruto is going to have problems with him no matter what._

_2. Naruto is holding back attacks like Rasenshuriken cause he doesn't want to kill him. Maim, yeah, but not kill. _

_3. Laxus isn't holding back. He wants to deliver some serious pain. It's hard to beat someone at full strength when you're not._

_4. You also wanna know why the Raiton: Rasengan was so powerful too? Because it had absorbed the full Lightning Dragons Roar into it. On his own, Naruto could never generate that kind of power (Yet. Who knows?) so an unexpectedly powerful attack was the result._

_I have also been told about something called TV Troupe. Vandenbz brought it to my attention that this story should be considered for it. I personally had never heard of this TV Troupe before, but if you agree with whatever it is, send Vandenbz a message about it._

_I hope you enjoyed the fight too. That was actually the reason the chapter was pumped out so fast too, cause I had such a blast writing it!_

_As always, let me know if it was awesome/crappy and stuff._

_This is usually where I sign off, but over the chapters I have been getting requests to do that scene where everyone swapped bodies for the episode. It wasn't cannon so I skipped it, but due to popular demand, here is a nice little omake for you all._

**Omake**

Naruto wandered into the main guild hall and spotted Natsu and Lucy bent over something. Erza and Gray were also wandering over so naturally intrigued, the blond followed suit. The group were muttering about some translation thing, so once within ear shot, Naruto called out.

"Oi, what's going on? The party seems to have moved to this table."

Looking up, the resident S Rank mage looked up. "Oh, Naruto. We were just considering this request. The reward is five hundred thousand jewels if you can read this."

Leaning in and looking at what the finger was pointed at, Naruto frowned. Lucy was sitting opposite him and looked up excitedly. "So you think you can read it?"

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "I just wanted to see what it looked like. There's no chance in hell I'd be able to read that."

Groaning, the blond girl spun the piece of paper around and frowned as she tried to make out the words. "Honestly... why look if you're not even going to try?"

Ignoring her, Naruto looked at the other two males. "Either of you two looked at it yet?"

Gray shook his head. "Fire balls here got a brief look, but we got it back before he ate it."

Turning away, Naruto ignored the immanent fight and took a seat as the two males fell into a scrap heap. Shuffling over beside Lucy, he took a closer look. "Have you worked out anything?"

Casting him a quick glance, the girl shook her head. "No, but I'm trying! Something seems really familiar about it. These old style characters are so rare I'd doubt there's anyone left alive who could read them. There's a transliteration beside it though."

"Oh? Can I see that?" Looking up, Lucy's face brightened as the resident barmaid wandered over. "Mirajane! Of course you may, here."

Handing the sheet over, the ivory haired girl frowned as she studied the words. "Hmmm... I can kind of read the translation... let's see... Uugo deru rasuchi borokamia. Huh, I wonder what that means?"

Any reply was halted by a strange vibration through the air that seemed to permeate deep into their bodies. Naruto swayed about a bit as things went a little woozy, but it passed quickly enough. Blinking several times, Naruto wiped his eyes. "Damn, what just happened?"

"C-c-c-cold!"

All eyes trained on the suddenly shivering Gray. Cocking an eyebrow, Naruto heard a couple of mages behind him whisper, "An ice mage, cold? That kinda defeats the purpose of being one doesn't it?"

As Gray shivered away, Lucy suddenly groaned. Looking at the girl, Naruto frowned as she suddenly looked like she was struggling to hold her own body weight up. "H-heavy! It feels like I have freakin' Elfman hanging from my shoulders! Holy crap, my back is _killing_ me..."

Feeling a pulling around his own shoulders, Naruto blinked. "Now that you mention it, I do too! What the hell Elfman, get off me!"

"S...sister, what are you saying?" Turning to look behind himself, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sister? And you're not hanging off me... hang on, what the hell, did you just grow a foot or something?"

"What am I doing sitting down?"

A deep voice from behind him made the blond look around. Squinting an eye, he shook his head. "Hang on, when did I create a clone?"

The clone blinked several times as it looked up at Naruto. Its head then tilted to the side in a very effeminate way as a hand rose up and cupped its cheek. "Oh my, this isn't right."

Growling, Naruto raised a fist. "Damn right it ain't. Stop being so girly! You're a man!"

Shaking its head, the clone hummed. "No, I'm Mirajane! I take it you're Naruto?"

Crinkling his eyebrows, Naruto leant back. "Yeah, who else would it be?"

His clone pointed at his body. "You may want to look down."

Blinking twice, Naruto then followed the direction. His eyes widened in surprise when instead of the expected view, he saw two massive orbs sitting just beneath his nose. Crying out, Naruto tried to jump away from them. "Oi! What the hell, who stole my body?"

Slapping his hands to the orbs, Naruto found them to be nice and squishy. Pushing them flat, he peered over them and sighed in relief. "Alright, that wasn't cool, I thought I was just a head for a second there. Why am I in a dress though? And what is up with my voice?"

Looking over the rest of the table, Naruto frowned as he saw the rest of the group acting weirdly. Gray was still shivering like it was the middle of winter, Lucy had all but collapsed under her boobs for some reason, Erza had the dorkiest smile ever on her face, Happy was looking around in bewilderment and Natsu had disappeared out the front door. Some other fellow was standing there though, looking just as confused as the rest of them.

Looking back down at his clone, Naruto scrutinised it for a bit before speaking again. "So... you're Mirajane?"

The new found Mirajane nodded unhappily. "And you are me."

Pursing his lips, Naruto looked down at his chest again. Poking it, he felt a strong hand grab his. Looking up, he saw Mirajane staring at him in embarrassment. "D-don't do that!"

Looking back down, Naruto then gave himself a test wriggle. The things on his chest swung around merrily. Ignoring the anguished cry from himself, Naruto grinned. "Heh, this could be fun for a bit! HEY BIG BOYS~!"

All the male mages looked over at the sing song voice to find Naruto with his hand halfway down his top, a finger on his lips and a heavy blush coating his cheeks as he slowly dipped his hand further into the fabric. A torrent of blood spewed forth from the multiple mages and Naruto burst out laughing as both Mirajane and Elfman shouted at him embarrassedly. Wiping a tear away, he looked over at the remaining group. Pointing at Gray, he got the rest of the laughs out of him. "So who are you?"

Looking over in dismay, the mage shivered. "L-Lucy."

Naruto nodded. "Right, I'm Naruto. You?"

He pointed at the unfamiliar face in the group. Frowning in confusion, the man clicked his tongue. "I'm meant to be Natsu. But, this isn't me, so have I been Loki all along?"

Ignoring the philosophical questions from the dense teen, Naruto checked out the floored blond girl. "So, you're not Lucy, you're..."

A painful moan sounded out. "Gray. _Please_ someone rescue me from these things!"

Naruto chuckled. "Nah, I rather like them and I bet Lucy does too. Besides, it doesn't hurt that bad, I can say from experience." Then looking over at Happy and Erza, Naruto shook a finger at them. "So you two swapped then, I take it?"

The cat was currently on his knees, extremely depressed with the outcome of the swap. "Why... why of all things did I have to be swapped with Happy?"

The cat however was thoroughly enjoying the new, taller body and was quite ready to share his excitement. "Check this out! I got a fantastic pair of boobs now! Looky, looky!"

Cupping the former redhead's body, Happy pushed the large amount of flesh up and jiggled them around. Fresh blood torrents spurted out anew as an enraged Erza suddenly dived at Happy. "STOP THIS!"

The attack was proven to be completely ineffective as the tiny cat simply bounced off the much larger body with a dull thump. Regarding his chest, Happy grinned. "That didn't hurt at all!"

Finding herself on her knees again, Erza began shedding a few tears. "Why... why me? I wasn't the one who stole the mission, it wasn't me! What is going on?"

A sudden thump at the door drew everyones attention and they all looked over to see the diminutive form of the guild Master. Walking in, he looked over the rabble. "Hmmm... looks like you lot have stumbled over the magical words of Umpera. You just activated a **Change Ring**."

Everyone affected ran over, eager to hear what Makarov had to say. Clearing his throat, he continued. "That request is the cause. When a **Change Ring **is activated, everyone within the magic's vicinity has their minds and bodies swapped."

Looking over himself, Naruto smirked. "Well, I can't say I'm too disappointed with the swap. When do we change back though?"

Closing his eyes, Makarov hummed. "Well... if you don't undo the **Change Ring **within thirty minutes of being activated, it becomes permanent."

That wiped the smirk off Naruto's face quick-smart as everyone leaned in with a unified, "WHAT?"

Whirling around, Gray grabbed at his chest as it swung painfully. "How long has it been active?"

Elfman looked at his watch and furrowed his eyes. "Well... coming up fifteen minutes. You're half way there."

Shrieking in fear, Gray gripped them hem of his shirt. "I'M GONNA DO IT! JUST WATCH ME!"

A sudden clamber filled the room as all the males (Naruto included) jumped forward to get an eyeful of undoubtedly one of the best chests the guild had to offer. Lucy quickly shut down their hopes though as the much stronger body she now inhabited managed to wrestle Gray to the floor.

"Huh, so Gray still has his stripping urges. Actually..." Everyone turned to look at Happy as he looked at his body. "I know! Watch this!"

A bright glowing light encased the 'cat' and Erza cried out in fear. The light quickly faded and Erza's fears were well justified as Happy now stood there in a skin tight, one piece bathing suit. Frothing violently, Naruto along with Elfman, Macao and Wakaba all jumped forward with their thumbs raised high. "NICE!"

Erza tried yet again to attack Happy and stop the cat from exposing her anymore, but was subsequently silenced as a neglectful elbow from the former cat smashed Erza square in the face. Dropping to the floor, Erza began crying. "This is not fair. It's just a dream, wake up Erza, it's just a bad dream!"

Realising what's going on, Mirajane slapped a hand to her mouth. "No... no! We've swapped abilities as well!"

A cold chill suddenly ran through Naruto as the horrific reality of it sunk in. That meant not only the abilities had been swapped but also, '...Kyuubi.'

His gaze met Mirajane's and he was surprised to see her looking back at him with the same fear filled eyes. Pulling her off to the side, he lowered his voice. "Uh, Mira-chan, all I ask is that you trust me when I say _please_ don't try anything I can do. I guess that's the same for me too?"

Seeing her just swallow and nod, Naruto let out a relieved breath. "Good. Let's focus on getting back to normal now shall we?"

Again, something thumped at the front door and everyone looked over. Standing in the light was Levy with Jet and Droy standing either side of her. "Here, let me take a look at the slip! I'm pretty good with old style languages so I might be able to work something out!"

Running over to the table, Levy pulled an entire stack of books from somewhere on her thin person and slapped them down on the top. Throwing on a set of weird red glasses, the girl began breezing through the books in front of her at an incredibly fast pace. Moving up beside her, Naruto looked her in surprise. "You can actually read that fast?"

She hummed absently as she dropped the first book and picked up another. "No, it's the glasses. They're magical."

Mirajane then moved up beside Naruto and gently grabbed his arm. "Come away now, let her focus."

Nodding, Naruto complied and was lead away to mingle with the rest of the afflicted group. Sitting down, he realised everyone was chatting silently to the person they were swapped with, possibly exchanging magic tips on their abilities and such.

Looking at Mirajane, he rolled his eyes as he saw his own face. "This is just too weird Mira-chan." Sighing, he leant back. "What happens if we can't change back?"

Trying to keep cheerful, Mirajane waved her hands about. "D-don't say that! Levy will change us back, I'm sure of it!"

Groaning as his shoulders let out another pang of pain from all the added weight on his front, Naruto sighed. "I hope so. Chronic shoulder and back pain doesn't really sound like all that much fun."

XxXxXxX

_TBC_

_Don't mind any of that omake. It is totally mindless and has absolutely no importance in the great scheme of thing. Sorry for wasting your time._

_Lanky Nathan_

_P.S. don't expect an update this fast again. One time only special, got it? Damn I'm too kind._


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N – quick note before we start, 1000 jewels = 10.00 dollars_

Landing with a thump, Naruto sighed and rubbed an eye. The day seemed to be stretching right out and despite the fact he felt alright back when he took that job, rare fatigue was beginning to catch up to him. He guessed fighting a cranky S Rank mage did that.

Rubbing a knot that had decided to make itself home in his neck, Naruto traipsed into the gradually regrowing guild. Right now what he felt like a nice snack and then a nap. What he got instead was Erza standing in front of him looking incredibly guilty. Raising an eyebrow, he waited for the mage to speak. It didn't take long before she took a breath and looked him in the eye. "Naruto, I wish to apologise for the fiasco with Laxus before. I should have warned you he was present."

Not quite sure why she was apologising for that, Naruto frowned. "Uh, you really don't have to ya know? So what if I knew? Neither of us knew he wanted to fight me and besides, he'd still have jumped me at the first opportunity. If anything, I should be thanking you for telling the old man the full story. I would have been in trouble if you hadn't."

Clenching a fist, Erza looked away in shame. "That doesn't forgive me for not atleast giving you a warning or even trying to stop Laxus." Turning her piercing gaze back, she squared up. "I wish for you to punch me as punishment."

Eyes widening, Naruto stared at her dumbly. "Uh... what?"

Clenching her muscles, Erza explained. "It is only fitting! I let a fellow member walk into peril without even trying to help. I wish to be dealt an equal measurement of discipline for my lapse."

Naruto sweat dropped. "Um, you'll find then that Laxus threw me. He didn't punch me till later."

Glaring at him, Erza stepped up. "Throw me then! Whatever you deem necessary."

Stepping back, Naruto held his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, you're not serious are you?"

Clenching her eyes, the redhead nodded. "Please, do it so that I may never lapse again."

Feeling too tired to deal with arguing any further, the blond shrugged. Reaching out, he gripped Erza's armour. She clenched as she readied herself to be flung into a wall or something similar. Instead, she felt a mighty heave send her skywards through the nonexistent roof.

Raising a hand to his eyes, Naruto watched as the woman disappeared into the air with an absolutely adorable little squeal. Chuckling to himself, Naruto watched her arc. "Huh, who would have guessed she could make those noises?"

Holding out his arms, Naruto readied himself and with a thump, caught the surprised mage in a bridal hold. Dropping her to her feet, he ignored her blush and multiple wide eyed stares from a great number of the guild members. Scratching his head as he walked through them, Naruto couldn't help but wonder why every time he walked into the guild he got gawked at by every member present.

"W-wait!"

Groaning, the blond turned to look back at Erza. He gave her a tired look and waited for her. "W-what was that?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "You asked me to throw you, so I threw you."

She shook her head in frustration. "That's not what I meant though!"

Groaning, Naruto shrugged. "Whatever. If you don't like it, do whatever you like to yourself and just consider it from me, k?"

Turning, Naruto took a single step before hearing a solid thump and a wheeze. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw that the woman had seemingly punched herself in the stomach with considerable force. She raised a shaky thumb and smiled weakly at him before collapsing onto a table. Several concerned mages jumped to her side while Naruto watched on. It seemed she was under good care, so now it was snack time.

Walking up to the counter, he dropped into a seat. He didn't have to wait long until his date for the night walked up in front of him with a winning smile. "Hello handsome! Finished your mission already?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, it wasn't too bad. Nearly made a sailor eat his shoes too. I think I would have preferred watching that over the bonus he gave me, but I'm sorta flat broke so needed the extra couple of jewels."

Chuckling, the waitress nodded in amusement. "I know, I got a message from Mr. Donathan while you were preoccupied with Erza. He was incredibly impressed with your performance."

Grinning, Naruto swiped a finger under his nose. "Well he orta be! Telling me I needed to get a team. Who does he think I am?"

Mirajane giggled. "Oh, I'm sure he knows who you are now. I did see that on the mission slip, but I thought you could handle yourself with a few of your clones to help."

Smirking, Naruto nodded. "Damn right they did. Ain't never seen such wide eyes before."

Rolling her eyes, Mirajane bopped him on the head with a rolled up paper. "Yes, yes, alright oh magnificent one. So how can I help you? I'm guessing you're hungry?"

Grinning, Naruto patted his tummy. "You know me too well. And this time I have money to pay for it too!"

Smiling, the waitress stepped back and looked over at what food she had out. "I guess we'll just start with one of everything and go from there?"

Clapping his hands happily, Naruto reached for the first bowl with starry eyes. "Yup, so gimmie!"

XxXxXxX

Sighing happily, Naruto sat back amongst his numerous used bowls. Half way through, Naruto could have almost sworn someone had started up another betting round on his eating habits but he hadn't the time to verify something like that. Smacking his lips, Naruto looked up at the ever cheerful Mirajane. "So how much do I owe?"

Flicking through the numbers, Mirajane came to a total. "Ten thousand jewels should cover it."

Hearing a gasp behind him, Naruto turned. "What?"

One of the mages shook his head. "N-nothing, it's just that is a lot for one meal!"

Hearing Mirajane huff behind him, Naruto turned. She had her hands on her hips and was pointedly looking at them. "Please, he gets the same discount as you. He just eats a lot!"

Shrugging, Naruto pulled his scroll out. It didn't matter how much things cost so long as he had the money. He'd lived poor for a long while so he knew how to save. Retrieving the scruffy envelope, Naruto tucked the scroll away and looked inside the packet. What greeted him was the sight of a plethora of different coloured notes. It was then Naruto decided to remember he hadn't actually learnt what the value of each slip was.

Pulling one out, he looked at it and it had a little number up in the corner. A two followed by four zeros. Having a quick flick through the other notes, he noticed that it was one of the smallest numbers and shrugged. Pushing it forward, he grinned. "Here that should cover it and take a tip for yourself."

Smiling brightly, Mira clapped her hands together. "Oh thank you! I can't take that from you though, you have only had one mission so you should probably be saving."

Naruto shook his head. "Na-ah, I got heaps." He opened the envelope to show her. "See?"

The ivory haired girl's eyes widened as she saw the stack of coloured notes. She frowned soon after. "Naruto, have you counted this yet?"

The blond shook his head. Rolling her eyes, Mirajane held her hand out. Obediently handing it over, the girl pulled the wad of notes out and started counting it out of sight behind the counter. Naruto watched on cluelessly as the girl's eyes widened with every slip of paper than was counted. It took a while before she looked up at him with concerned eyes. "Did Mr. Donathan say how much you were to be paid?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nup, I got paid by how many boats I cleaned."

Narrowing an eye, Mira leant in. "How many did you clean exactly?"

Naruto shrugged. "All of them?"

Stifling a gasp, Mirajane pulled him in close. "Wait, _every_ one of his boats?"

Not quite understanding the fuss, Naruto nodded. "Yeah?"

Letting go, Mirajane leant back with a soft whistle. "Oh wow... I wasn't expecting you to do that much..."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah, you can understand why he was happy with me then."

Shaking her head, Mirajane looked at the notes at her fingertips. "Naruto, he must have been more than happy with you. He has given you One Hundred Thousand jewels!"

Blinking several times, Naruto shrugged. "Eh, I still don't know how that translates into something I understand so it's not that big a deal."

Shaking her head slowly, the bar maid handed back the money. "Well, when you work out just how much you were given, perhaps you won't be so relaxed over it."

Chuckling, Naruto resealed the envelope. "Nah, I lived a simple life before this. Even if I had a million jewels I doubt that would change the way I live."

Sighing, the girl shook her head again and gave him a gentle smile. "You really are an interesting young man, you know that?"

The blond chuckled nonchalantly. "Eh, I'm not that great, just another guy trying to get home."

Simply smiling in response to that, Mirajane grabbed a few bowls closest to her and began taking them over to the sink. Feeling himself begin to doze, Naruto remembered something. "Oh, can I ask you something about tonight?"

Looking over from the sink, Mira blinked. "Yeah, of course."

Scratching his cheek, Naruto laughed awkwardly. "Well, I was wondering if we could say at home or something. I've had a bit of a big day."

Chuckling, Mirajane nodded. "I was going to say, don't you get tired? We can have a night in at my place if you wish."

Smiling thankfully, Naruto nodded. "That sounds just perfect. I'm pretty tired."

Rolling her eyes, Mira turned back to the sink. "Well gosh, don't let it show so much! Honestly, you men and your need to look tough."

XxXxXxX

After lunch, Naruto had sat around for a bit and just watched everyone come through the guild. While watching the wide variety of different people was interesting in its own unique way, that interest quickly ran out. Stretching, he considered going for a walk when something at the far edges of his peripheral vision caused him to look over at the door.

Nothing was there, but Naruto was sure it was that weird creature that had been lurking around the guild for the past two days. It was time to catch him a snoop.

Jumping up, he ran to the door and looked around. Checking the door frame, he noticed a drying handprint on it along with some disturbed dust kicked around near it. Following the tracks with his eyes, he saw them lead into an alleyway. Running over, he poked his head in and swore he heard a tiny peep.

Running down it, he looked around for any possible escape routes. It was a dead end, but the fence was easily jumpable. Vaulting over it, Naruto landed in a crouch and listened closely for any sound. It took a moment, but there was a shuffle down a branching corridor. Sneaking up to it quietly, he peered around the corner and caught a glimpse of a hand as they ran around a right angle corner. Frowning, Naruto decided it was time to get an aerial view.

Running up the wall of the building, Naruto reached the roof and softly jogged over to the alleyway. Looking over, he saw a strangely dressed girl peering back around the corner as she looked for him. Grinning, Naruto stepped off the edge and dropped down behind her.

If there was ever a time Naruto had needed earmuffs, it was then. The thump behind the girl elicited a terrified screech from her that echoed around the tight space for a few seconds. Having blocked his ears in pain, the blond looked up once it was quiet and noticed the girl had all but disappeared. Frowning, Naruto looked around. There was no way she could have vanished in such a short time space. Stepping forward, his foot landed with a splash in a puddle.

Looking down, Naruto rolled his eyes. Just like his mission to wave, there had been no rain for a long while here. Shaking his foot out, he stepped back and crossed his arms. "Alright, up you come. I know you're the puddle."

A slight ripple crossed the surface of the water before a meek girl materialised. She rose up through the water, the puddle shrinking as it reformed her body. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto gave her a quick once over.

She seemed to have a fondness for blue the same way he did for orange. Even her eyes and long hair was the colour. She had an interesting hair style in itself however as it hung down to her shoulders before tightly curling outward on itself in a kind of collar, wrapping around the back of her slender neck from shoulder to shoulder. She had a strange, cylindrical hat on that stood straight up from her head. For some reason it didn't look too odd on her though. She wore a short, mid breast length shawl over a knee length coat that hung right down over her thigh high boots. A simple brown belt and a couple of large gold buttons held the piece together over her front, finishing off her look rather nicely.

Smirking as the girl squirmed under his gaze, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So you're the one who's been sneaking around the guild the last two days hey?"

Eyes widening, the pale girl looked up at him. "Y-you knew all that time?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup, you can't escape my notice too easily."

Holding her hands over her chest, the girl furrowed her eyebrows. "So why didn't you come and catch Juvia before?"

Naruto shrugged and picked at his ear. "I dunno, I probably have a few reasons but the main one was 'cause I had an attack of the lazies."

Looking up in confusion, the girl blinked. "Uh... excuse me?"

"Eh?" Realising she didn't understand, he just waved a hand. "Don't worry, too hard to explain. So what's your name? I think I can already guess though..."

Wriggling her shoulders around a little, Naruto had to hold a poker face 'cause that movement was doing wonders for her large chest. "J-Juvia. Juvia Lockser."

Nodding, Naruto grinned. "Alright, now we're getting somewhere. So what were you doing hanging around the door? You can just come in you know."

Shaking her head, the girl blushed a bright red. "No, I couldn't! Juvia would be much too embarrassed."

Blinking, Naruto looked at her questioningly. "Uh... why? I mean, the only time it's really embarrassing is when Gray gets naked."

Upon mentioning his name, the strange girl before him seemed to squeal in delight, her eyes going all dreamy and love sick while she clasped her hands over her chest. "Gray... oh beautiful Gray... Juvia couldn't talk to him, it would be just too much!"

Pursing his lips, Naruto distinctly remembered seeing this type of female before. It seemed like the stripper had gone and caught himself a fan girl. Not one to intrude on something like that though, Naruto raised his arms behind his head. "Well, that's cool I guess. So just clarifying, you weren't gonna do anything to wreck the guild as it gets rebuilt?"

Coming back from the land of daises and half dressed Grays, Juvia shook her head violently. "N-no! Juvia is rather interested in the guild. Juvia won't damage it at all."

Naruto guessed that by 'guild' she meant 'Gray'. That rested his concern though so with a kick at the dirt, he turned his back. "Just checking. Anyway, go talk to the old man if you wanna join. He'll work something out."

As he took a step, he heard the girl make a noise. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her pointing shyly behind her. "The exit is that way."

Snorting, Naruto grinned. "I make my own exits."

Jumping up to the roof, he heard her gasp in surprise. Chuckling again, he made to walk away when he heard her call out again. Looking back down, he saw her blinking up at him. "C-could you tell Juvia your name?"

Smirking, the blond nodded. "But of course! Uzumaki Naruto, at your service. If that is all though, I'll be off."

Watching him start whistling as he thrust his hands into his pockets, the girl looked back down at the ground he jumped from. "Uzumaki... what a strange name."

XxXxXxX

Naruto had considered going back to the guild, but by the looks of things Mira was too busy to chat and Erza was still out of commission. The normal people he spoke to seemed to be absent as well, so with that in mind he decided to go do some light training. Hey, he might have been tired but he wasn't _that_ tired.

Breaking into a gentle jog, Naruto began heading towards his training area. Jumping one of the many canals, Naruto heard a voice call out his name mid flight. Looking across, he saw Natsu and Happy accompanied by Lucy, all three waving at him. Shifting in the air, he hit the wall of a building. Sticking to it, he tucked his hands into his pockets and walked down and over to the trio. "Yo, what's happening?"

Natsu was the first to jump forward in greeting, a wide grin on his face. "Naruto! Lucy said yes! We're going out tonight!"

Patting him on the head, Naruto smirked. "See? Told you it'd work."

Hearing a sigh, the blond looked over. Lucy had her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed out. "I knew it wasn't all your idea Natsu! There's no way you could think that far ahead."

Turning around, the boy let out a whine. "But I did! That's the thing! Naruto just helped me ask, that's all!"

Happy decided he'd throw in his two cents and began circling the girls head. "Yeah! Natsu wanted to date you but you liked Naruto, so Naruto had to convince Natsu you didn't like him and Natsu was ok with that 'cause he doesn't know any better. You might still secretly like Naruto though and Natsu would then have to fight him for you which would be pretty awesome except I don't see why they'd do that because I'm just a cat."

Lucy understood something like the last three to four words of what the odd animal said, so merely nodded and smiled awkwardly. Ducking under the cat as he flew past again, she walked over to the two teens. "So where were you headed in such a rush Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head. "Oh, no rush, that was slow. I was just off to practice walking on air. What about you?"

Totally cutting off everything Lucy was about to say, Natsu jumped in. "Walking on air? That sounds so awesome! Can we come watch?"

Shrugging, the blond nodded. "Yeah, I can't see why not. Company is always fun."

Turning, they made to jump off when an agitated cough stalled their process. Turning around, they saw Lucy standing there with her hands on her hips. "Well, I do hope you're not expecting me to jump along the roofs like you were because there is NO way I can do something superhumanly freaky like that."

Flicking his eyes over to Natsu, Naruto grinned to himself. Leaning in, he whispered something to Natsu. Instantly onto him, Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Oi, what did you just tell him?"

Grinning, Naruto took a step back. "Oh, that a piggy back ride across the roofs is an amazing way to entertain your date!"

Squealing in surprise as Natsu suddenly appeared under her legs, she felt herself thrown upward in a backflip to land solidly in the middle of her tormentors back. "Natsu! What are you –"

Cutting her off with a laugh, Natsu grabbed her thighs. "Hold tight!"

Kicking off the ground with a mighty jump, the two sailed high into the air, the motion accompanied by an ear piercing shriek from the girl. Shading his eyes as he watched them ascend, Naruto nodded approvingly. "Short skirts and girls brave enough to wear them. I love it."

Kicking off the ground, he slowly caught up to them, if only to prolong the view for a few more minutes.

XxXxXxX

Landing, Naruto looked up and narrowed his eyes. Something seemed like it was missing... turning, he realised it was just Lucy was now quiet, having screamed herself horse on the journey here. Natsu didn't look too worried by it as he dropped the girl to her backside without a care in the world. She tried to shout at him but the noise that came out of her mouth sounded more like a painful croup than anything.

Ignoring her plight, Natsu looked at the blond eagerly. "So what you gonna do huh? How you gonna do it?"

Taking one last look at Lucy, Naruto decided it'd probably be worth getting her some water. A clone sent on a mission quickly fixed that. "Well, I can't work it out yet. I can kinda stand on it, but not for long."

Clearly not caring, Natsu raised his fists up to his face in excitement. "Show me!"

Nodding, Naruto lifted a foot and began repeating the process of prior times. Chakra into the foot. Flood the air surrounding the foot with chakra. Stabilise, solidify then stand.

Pushing up into the air, he heard both humans and cat gasp in surprise as Naruto lifted himself into the air. Struggling to hold the incredibly slippery particles together, Naruto's focus began to waver and he lost his grip. Cutting the energy flow to his legs, Naruto managed to avoid an outright explosion but still crunched into the ground a bit. Taking a breath, Naruto looked up and grinned dejectedly. "Well, that's as far as I can get. It's super frustrating 'cause I can't seem to hold it."

Natsu was all stars and probably didn't hear anything, but Lucy had a calculating look on her face. Her throat was a bit smoother now after the drink, but still feeling raw. Pointing at his feet, she called out as loudly as she dared. "So, what exactly are you doing? I can't see anything happening so can you explain?"

Naruto scratched his head and looked at his feet. Explaining things was never his strong suit. "Uh, well I use chakra to stabilise the air and then stand on it. I think."

Frowning, Lucy cupped her chin. "So what is chakra again?"

Naruto pursed his lips. "Uh... I'd say a bit like magic, except my body creates it instead of absorbing it like you guys do. I think that's what Mira-chan said anyway."

Nodding, Lucy thought for a bit longer. "Is that the only way you could do it?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe, I haven't got that far yet."

At this point, Natsu finally came out of his awe invoked stupor and promptly exploded into flame. "THAT WAS SO COOL! Almost like that guy I fought on the train tracks, just so much more awesome. I wish I could do that!"

As he danced around Naruto, Lucy sighed and placed a hand to her face. "Honestly Natsu, can't you remember anything? You pretty much have done when you shoot fire from your feet. You take off like a rocket."

The noise stopped as both teens looked over at Lucy in surprise.

"He can do that?"

"I can do that?"

Turning his eyes back to the boisterous mage, Naruto frowned. "Show me! You never said you could fly!"

Natsu growled and raised a fist. "I didn't know I could either! Get off my back!"

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto pointed to the sky. Natsu's growl turned to a smirk as he saw the opportunity to one up his rival. Taking a run up, he jumped into the air with an excited scream and promptly shot into the sky the second a pair of blazing flames exploded from his feet. Whistling as the mage flew around in a completely uncontrolled manner, Naruto followed his flight path until Natsu ended up buried into the ground. That must have been why Natsu hadn't mentioned it before. It was pretty embarrassing.

That however showed that flight was possible. Erigor was one, Natsu was clearly number two so Naruto was determined to be number three. His ears pricked as Lucy finished laughing at her friend and began speaking again. "So, Natsu can fly without needing to solidify the air. Can you see why?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, sorta. I think I got an idea."

Smiling, Lucy explained anyway. "All Natsu had to do was generate a downward force that was greater than what he weighed to lift him off the ground. To fly faster, he just needed to add more force. Do you have anything that could work like that?"

Staring as Happy tried to pull Natsu from the ground, Naruto began nodding slowly. He had wind natured chakra. How to create a downward force with it though...

It was times like this that called for a collection of minds. Crossing his fingers, Naruto grinned. "I think so. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!**"

Managing to restrain her surprise to a little squeak, Lucy looked around in marvel at the great number of Naruto replicas that had suddenly been created. She couldn't count them all, but there seemed to be upward of fifty filling the area. Rubbing her eyes, she watched as they all spread out and find a spot to themselves. They all then raised their hands in a weird sign, one hand with the index and middle finger raised with the other hand wrapped around the first, it also having its index and middle finger raised beside the first two. All the blonds seemed to be using the strange sign as a focus of sorts as a hazy light blue began to coat them.

As the blue shroud increased around them, Lucy also noticed a light breeze begin to pick up around her. It wasn't much at first, but quickly grew in strength until her hair was whipping around her face. She also had to be mindful of her short skirt otherwise everyone here would be given a free peep show.

Using her free hand to pull her unruly hair from her eyes, the girl squinted against the rushing wind. A few of the Naruto replicas near her seemed to have started sweating from doing whatever it was they were doing. Whatever it was seemed to be putting a great deal of strain on them and the stress on their faces started to worry her.

Clamping her skirt between her legs, Lucy held a hand out. "W-wait up! Don't overdo yourself yeah?"

The Naruto nearest to her opened an eye slightly and smiled reassuringly at her. "Don't worry, just watch. I think I'm close."

Lowering her hand hesitantly, Lucy looked around. Despite what he said, she couldn't help but fret a bit. A thump beside her made her look over and she saw Natsu sitting beside her, coated from top to toe in dirt and holding Happy protectively from the strong winds. "What's he doing?"

His voice was raised but it was still carried away by the wind. Raising her own voice as far as she could, Lucy cupped her mouth. "He's trying to do the same thing you did, just without fire... I think!"

"You have pretty undies on Lucy!"

Snapping her head down, Lucy realised the hand she used to cup her mouth with had let her skirt lift up merrily and dance in the breeze. Shrieking, she snapped it back down and glared at Happy, a heavy blush adorning her cheeks. "Stop looking you perverted cat!"

The animal shrugged and closed his eyes. "I dunno why you're so worried. I just thought they looked pretty."

Hearing Natsu chuckling, Lucy looked up embarrassedly, blush still at full strength. "S-stop laughing."

Still smirking, Natsu turned his gaze back to Naruto. It had been atleast five minutes since Natsu had managed to pull his head from the ground and wander over and in that short time all he had seen from the blond was a lot of wind and not much else. As such, his limited patients began to wear thin as he sat for another minute or so. Turning to Lucy, the mage whined. "How long is he gonna keep blowing wind at us?"

The girl's eyebrows furrowed as she noticed the continuing strain on Naruto. "I don't know. He just said sit and watch because something was going to happen soon."

Narrowing his eyes, Natsu crossed his arms over Happy and glared at the multiple numbers of blonds before him. It didn't take long before he let out an agitated grunt and thrust the cat in his arms into Lucy's. "Hold Happy, I wanna find out what's happening."

Ignoring Lucy's call to stay put, Natsu stamped up to a Naruto and tapped his shoulder. "Oi, how long is this gonna take huh? Blowing wind all around isn't as cool as walking on air."

Having opened his eyes, Naruto smirked through the sweat running down his face. "Just wait a little longer. Another minute ok?"

Scrutinising the teen, Natsu nodded slowly. "Ok... but I'm counting."

Standing back, Natsu crossed his arms and started counting. He got to somewhere around thirty before giving up. "Ok, minute's up! What you got huh?"

The wind held for another couple of seconds before the rush finally began dying down. Wriggling a finger around in his ear, Natsu tried to clear the weird left over noise as small explosions suddenly began popping up across the clearing. Eventually all that was left was the original orange clad blond, sweating pretty badly but grinning widely. Walking up to the small group, he took a breath. "Let's see what we got hey? Just need a drink."

Grabbing his canteen that was kindly filled by himself when he went to get Lucy water, Naruto took a gulp before dropping it to the ground. Grinning excitedly, he stepped back and closed his eyes.

Forming the ram seal, he began channelling chakra to his feet. The collective experience of several dozen clones kicked in as Naruto began moulding his chakra into his natural element. Feeling it pool beneath his feet, he let out a breath and pushed. The trick to it was focusing the blast of air in a controlled downward jet. The ground beneath his feet seemed to ripple unstably as he pushed his energy down, but outside of that nothing seemed to be happening. A collective gasp from the group before him though made him open his eyes.

Gasping in glee upon realisation, Naruto looked down and found he had actually managed to lift off the ground! Not just a few inches either, but a good four feet! The strange thing about it though was that it still felt exactly like he was standing on the ground. There was no sense of weightlessness or zero gravity like he expected. Who cared about that though because the fact of the matter remained that Naruto was currently _flying_.

Whooping joyfully, Naruto leant forward and pushed more chakra into his feet. The sudden influx of power instantly destabilised the little platform he had created and sent him off into an uncontrolled roll. Crying out, Naruto clenched just in time to ready himself for the collision with the ground. Sliding several meters, he came to a stop with a crunch of dirt. Laughing weakly, the blond looked at the sky. Yeah, it wasn't going to be that easy to master.

Trying to push himself to his feet, Naruto found his arms had suddenly been locked into a set of cast iron braces and all the bones in his legs had oozed out his toes. Groaning, Naruto let his head drop back to the earth. Ok, maybe he _was_ that tired after all.

Hearing a patter of feet, Naruto looked over weakly and smiled as Natsu's excited face filled his vision. "Now that is what I'm talking about! That was awesome!"

Happy was next, alighting on Natsu's head. "You flew really far too until you crashed and burned. I was pretty impressed until then. You wouldn't want anyone else to see you fail like that though, it'd be pretty humiliating."

Taking the odd compliment graciously, Naruto sighed as Lucy finally caught up. Looking down at Naruto over her bust, she furrowed her eyebrows in worry. "Are you ok? You hit the ground super hard!"

Chuckling, Naruto managed to nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think I got chakra exhaustion though 'cause I can't move. You're gonna have to carry me back home."

Looking up at Natsu, Lucy lidded her eyes. "I carried him back last time, it's your turn now."

Groaning, Natsu looked at her pathetically. "Do I have to?"

Standing, Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes you do. Now pick him up and let's go. We wouldn't want to be late to that date you asked me out on would we?"

Suddenly grinning, Natsu nodded. "Nup! Happy, grab Lucy, we're getting home in double time!"

"Aye!" Swooping in, the cat grabbed the girl and groaned audibly as he lifted her up. "What do you EAT? You weigh as much as three Natsu's!"

Flapping around indignantly, Lucy tried to glare at the cat. "I am not heavy! Stop making things up!"

As they continued to fight, Natsu cracked his knuckles and picked Naruto up. "I'm gonna practice flying home! I promise I'll try not to drop you."

"Oi, oi, oi, be careful with me!" Completely ignoring the plea, Natsu slung the blond over his shoulder. Crouching his knees, the mage's feet exploded into flame before he jumped into the sky, propelled along awkwardly by his jets.

XxXxXxX

Naruto lay in the main guild foyer, completely covered in dust, rocks and twigs. Natsu was in much the same state, but looking considerably more pleased. He'd only dropped Naruto two or three times so that wasn't too bad. He'd only crashed another dozen times more so all in all it had been a pretty successful practice session!

Groaning from the floor, Naruto looked around at the guild members that were present as most of them laughed at him. Gray had decided to come back from wherever he had gone and was now crouched beside Naruto. "So, looks like Natsu put you through the ringer hey? I'd have expected more."

Closing his eyes, Naruto shook his head. "Gray, please, clothes."

Hearing an embarrassed yell beside him, Naruto cautiously opened one eye to see the boy dashing away through the group in an effort to find his discarded garments. It didn't take long before Gray found what he was looking for and was back beside him in a much more respectable state of dress. "I also hear you and Natsu worked out how to fly? Lucy's been telling everyone."

The blond nodded. "Yeah... almost. I still need to practice more. Natsu does too."

"Naruto!"

Hearing a loud voice, both the blond and the shaggy haired teen hovering over him looked up. Striding in with a grin on his face was Elfman, a roll of something tucked under his arm. "Good to see you mostly unharmed. I must say too, being able to fly is incredibly manly! My whole body convulses in excitement!"

Making a face at the graphic visual, Naruto tried to smile. "Uh, yeah just trying new things!"

Suddenly scooped up in a pair of massive arms, Naruto found himself squashed against the giant's chest. "Your manly spirit is overwhelming! I don't know how much of it I can take! Naruto!"

Sniffing once, Naruto then found himself in an impromptu shower as Elfman's tear ducts released. Looking out helplessly, Naruto called out. "Uh, can anyone here get me down?"

Gray's voice reached his ears, the scruffy teen sounding rather amused. "Nah, you're alright there for the moment."

Grouching to himself, Naruto only wished he could move so he could kick his ass. Trying another avenue, he called up to his captor. "So, what was all that under your arm you were carrying?"

Tears forgotten, Elfman held Naruto out. "Oh! Sister wanted me to give you some of the clothes I had grown out of for the moment until you get a chance to buy some new ones. These are some I thought might be your style and size."

Using his other arm, the man then held the clothing against Naruto's body. Frowning, Elfman clicked his tongue. "I wasn't expecting you to be quite so... lithe. Oh well, for now they will provide comfort and protection in the way only a man can give."

An uncontrolled shiver ran through Naruto's body. "Do you even realise what you just said?"

Grinning, Elfman nodded. "Most definitely. These manly hand me downs will serve you well."

Narrowing his eyes to strips, Naruto sighed as another couple of shirts were held over him. "Seriously, I feel like a doll right now."

It was then the sweet, sweet voice of his saviour reached his ears and he looked down in joy. "Mira-chan!"

The barmaid was looking up at her brother, hands on her hips and an exasperated look on her face. "Brother! You should really do something like that in private. Everyone is laughing at Naruto now."

Sweeping her arm wide, she motioned to the crowd as they all snorted in laughter. Realising his mistake, Elfman delicately put Naruto down. "Sorry, I got carried away there."

Handing his clothes to Mirajane, he looked down. "My oversight, sister."

Taking the clothes, the girl smiled. "That's ok, no harm done. Come on, help me get Naruto back to my place. I need to clean him up."

XxXxXxX

Finding himself sitting in a neat little lounge room, Naruto looked around. It was exactly what he would have expected from Mirajane. A pleasant, creamy white wall paint contrasted nicely with the slightly deeper toned ceiling. Fabric drapes hung over the two windows in the wall; a floral print embroidered into the threads with tiny stitches. A table with neatly stacked magazines sat in the middle of a rectangular rug with two double seater chairs sitting opposite one another. A small fireplace was built into the feature wall and a couple of small photo's hung around the slightly protruding brick chimney. A hallway led away to the bedrooms and bathrooms and on the other side of the room was a small door that opened up to the kitchen.

Thanks to his naturally fast healing rate, Naruto was now able to move around a bit but was still rather feeble. Elfman had dusted him off outside before dropping him into one of the two seats. Once settled, the brother and sister wandered into the kitchen to prepare some food.

While Naruto was thankful for all the treatment, he couldn't help but be a bit bored with how things were going. There wasn't much to look at and he couldn't reach for the reading material for fear of falling face first onto the floor. He passed his time for the moment just running over the previous training session in his mind. While appreciative to Lucy for being able to help him work out what to do, he couldn't help but want to kick himself for not trying that sooner.

Hearing a deep laugh, Naruto looked over to the kitchen door as Elfman ducked through it. Saying something to Mirajane, he pulled the door closed behind him and walked over to Naruto. Dropping into the seat beside the blond, Elfman looked to the ceiling. "Well now, I must leave unfortunately. I have a number of chores to take care of at my own place."

Nodding, Naruto looked up at the man. "Ok, well I'll catch you later yeah?"

Humming out in agreement, Elfman then turned his eyes to meet Naruto's. "There is one other matter I must discus with you too."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Ok, shoot."

"It involves my sister and this date she has been talking about."

Ah, that cleared things up. Grinning, Naruto did his best to shrug. "Oh, yeah you have nothing to worry about there. I mean, look at me, I can't even move yet!"

Closing his eyes, Elfman shook his head. "No not that, I already believe you to be an honourable man. What I wish to say is this: my sister hasn't opened up like this to anyone. I believe I know part of the reason for her acceptance of you, but she clearly see's more than me. In that regard, I want you to make sure you don't disappoint her. If you decide to go on any other dates, you make each one more special than the last, understand?"

Naruto was a little surprised with the massive man's trust in him. He was expecting the whole, 'you better not do such and such with my sister and hurt her cause if you do I'll kill you' routine. It was humbling in a way that he thought of Naruto as highly as he did. Still, Naruto already had all what Elfman said in mind. "No problem big guy! I'll make sure she has fun each time we go out, date or not!"

Grinning down at the teen, Elfman reached out and ruffled his hair. "I expected as much. Take care of her now and treat her like a man."

Blanching, Naruto looked up at the giant. "Dude, seriously, think about what you say before you say it!"

Laughing, Elfman just ignored him and walked out the front door. Sighing as it closed, Naruto looked around. The room hadn't changed much since he last checked so the pleasant arrival of Mirajane's soft humming through the door was a welcome distraction. While muffled, it was still incredibly soothing and the polyrhythmic tapping of a spoon on wood served as an interesting little timer.

Relaxing into the chair, the blond closed his eyes and let his mind wonder through the song. It didn't last as long as he'd have liked however as Mirajane finished and brought a tray of scrambled eggs out to him. Placing the tray on the table, she sat down beside him. "So how are you feeling?"

Chuckling, Naruto looked down at himself. "Well, unless you decide to move me, I won't be going far until morning."

Tutting to herself, Mirajane raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's what you get isn't it? Here you go telling me you're super tired and then head out into the fields to run yourself into exhaustion! What would have happened if no one was there to help you?"

Smiling at many a fond memory, Naruto shrugged. "I'd stay there till morning I guess. It's happened plenty more times than once."

Sighing exasperatedly, the girl reached out and grabbed the tray and pulled it onto her lap. "Honestly, you are _so_ like Natsu I cannot believe you aren't related. Anyway, open wide."

Blinking several times, Naruto watched as the waitress became his servant for a night as she scooped some of the eggs onto a spoon and held it out for him. Grinning happily, Naruto did as instructed. Sucking all the food off the utensil, he moaned in bliss as the flavours assaulted his taste buds. "You're so awesome Mira-chan. I dunno if I've ever told you that before, but you are."

Rolling her eyes, the girl scooped up another mouthful. "I'm just taking care of someone who clearly can't do it themselves."

Sucking up the next spoon full, Naruto licked his lips. "Well, you clearly know what you're doing so I might have to let you take care of me some more. By the way this is just delicious!"

Not really able to say anything to the first statement, Mirajane just smiled and loaded up the spoon again. "Oh come now Naruto, they're just eggs. Nothing special."

Humming happily, Naruto managed a thumbs up. "I don't care, you could call them heaven and I'd believe you."

Smiling softly at the praise, the girl continued feeding Naruto. "So we'll have to get you washed before you sleep because that would be horribly uncomfortable. Do you think you can walk?"

Looking over at the hallway, Naruto continued eating. "Depends how far. I should make it if you help."

Scooping up the last of the eggs, Mirajane popped it into Naruto's mouth and dropped the tray on the table. "Well, might as well get you started then. I'll clean up later."

Nodding, Naruto wriggled about a bit. "So how we gonna do this?"

Grasping Naruto's arm, the girl pulled him up and slung herself under his shoulder. "Like this I guess!"

Drooping uncomfortably, Naruto winced. He hated being this helpless, even if it was only going to last a night. Staggering along, the two of them headed for the bath.

XxXxXxX

Mirajane was standing in the kitchen cleaning up the mess, a light blush on her cheeks and a giddy smile on her face. The following mess of trying to get Naruto ready for the shower had been a lot harder than either had expected. Eventually Naruto had grown frustrated with the awkward fumbling and demanded to be thrown into the bath and strip in there. Granted it was only down to his boxers, but it sure didn't leave a lot to the imagination once she turned the water on for him.

If there had ever been anyone that had said girls never got nose bleeds, then that someone had been lying.

Busying herself with the small amount of mess in her otherwise spotless kitchen, she heard Naruto call out to her. Wiping her hands, she hurried to the bathroom and knocked. "So you're decent?"

She heard a laugh. "As decent as I can get I suppose."

Unable to keep a hint of excitement from riding in her chest, she pushed the door open. Naruto was still in the bath, though completely dry and looking extremely sheepish. Frowning, the girl focused. "What did you do?"

Chuckling, Naruto stifled a yawn. "Um... you remember that thing I do how I blow the water off me? Habit kicked in and I kinda wasted what energy I got back..."

Sighing defeatedly, Mirajane shook her head. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Nodding, Naruto struggled to move. "I've heard that before."

Rolling her eyes, Mirajane knelt beside the bath and pulled him up. "Just do what you can then ok?"

Pulling him up, she literally had to drag him from the bath. Huffing in effort, she began dragging him out the door. It was then Naruto realised they were getting further away from the couch. "Um, the couch is that way?"

Taking a breath, the girl determinedly kept walking forward. "Hush... I know."

So she had another plan. Might as well let her do it then as there wasn't a lot he could do otherwise. Pushing a door open with her foot, Mirajane doggedly walked in and staggered towards a large bed in the middle of a simple room. Finally heaving off Naruto, she stood up with a deep breath and wiped her brow. "Wow, you are a lot heavier than I expected."

Unfortunately Naruto was face down and unable to really do anything. Mirajane quickly realised this and flipped him over. Now able to see the room, Naruto looked around. The paint scheme was the same as the lounge room and it was just as sparse. The maroon quilt his face had been introduced to just before though had him raising a questioning eye. "Is this your bed?"

Nodding, Mirajane wandered out of the room. "Yes, why is that?"

Waiting for her to get back, Naruto frowned. "Well, where will you sleep?"

Dropping a number of clothes beside him, Mirajane pulled out a massive, button up shirt. "Beside you, dah."

Pursing his lips, Naruto blinked. Mira's bed. He was in Mirajane's bed. Soon Mirajane will be in said bed with him. Can anyone say jackpot?

A grin tugged at Naruto's lips as he fought back the creepy face that had lost Jiraiya many a comfortable bed. Hearing the girl hum contentedly, he looked down and saw her discard the rest of the clothes. She then took a look at Naruto's unclothed chest and it took all his willpower not to smile like an absolute fool when he saw the blush light up her face. He could however, allow a small but thoroughly satisfied grin. Eventually their eyes connected and Mirajane pulled her eyes away, a brighter blush of embarrassment now showing through. "Oh, I'm sorry! H-here, let me help you."

Laughing, Naruto let himself be rolled over back onto his face. As Mirajane went to pull his arm in through a sleeve though, she paused. Squeezing his arm gently, she frowned. "You are incredibly tense. Can you feel that?"

As she squashed a knot in his muscle, the blond winced. "Yup, sure can."

Pulling the shirt away, she disappeared into the ensuite. "Well, we need to get rid of those. I'll be back in a sec."

Watching her disappear, Naruto raised a curious eyebrow as he heard a couple of tinks as bottled clicked together. A moment later, Mirajane came out with a bottle of some brown liquid. Trying to see her, Naruto looked over his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

Hearing her hands slap together and start rubbing, a shiver ran down the blond's spine. "A massage. We need to get those knots out."

Feeling the liquid land on his back, Naruto finally lost his resolve. The creepy face exploded in full fury as he felt the girl straddle him and sit down on his backside. "Oh hell yes, this is the best freakin' night ever, dattebayo!"

He then groaned and a set of fingers dug into his shoulders. He couldn't see the girl, but he could almost see the smile on her lips. "I'm not minding it too much at all either, you know?"

Groaning again, Naruto let himself relax under her magical hands. "We totally need to do this again."

She giggled and Naruto then had to physically restrain himself from turning the maroon mattress red. "Yep, and next time you get to give me the massage."

XxXxXxX

An annoying light broke through the comforting black of sleep and began to rouse Naruto. Trying to break open his eyes, he felt the grit holding his eyelashes closed so rubbed a hand across his face. A sleepy smile broke out on his face as he realised he was once again close to full strength. Stretching, he sighed and felt fabric around his arm shoulder taught. Bringing his arm into view, he saw he was wearing that monstrous shirt Elfman had lent him. Mirajane must have gotten him into it somehow after he passed out. He was almost happy he was asleep for that.

Trying to lift his other arm, Naruto found it still felt like it was shackled by iron. Groaning, Naruto guessed he mustn't have healed as well as he thought. Looking down, his eyes began to widen as he realised that wasn't the problem at all.

Mirajane was lying by his side with her eyes still closed in peaceful sleep, a small smile on her face. The reason he couldn't move was because the girl had decided to confiscate his arm as her personal cuddle toy. She had a good grip on it too as it was pulled well down into the spongy softness of her chest. That was where it got interesting.

Before she had dropped down beside him last night, it seemed she had changed into an absolutely delicious black, silk nighty that reached all the way down to her legs. The light fabric did nothing to hide her bountiful curves however and Naruto was quite pleased by the fact. What was even more interesting was that during the night, the few buttons at the top of her gown had managed to fall apart and a fair amount of her impressive bust had fallen out. Her skin was surprisingly warm down in the valley, so for once in his life Naruto found it not all that difficult to just stay put in bed.

More minutes than he cared to count passed by as he just looked down at the girl attached to him, his free arm behind his head and his thoughts wondering from one nothing to the next. Eventually though, the ivory haired beauty began to stir and with a soft snort, opened her eyes. They blinked a few times before looking upward when she heard Naruto chuckle. "Morning sunshine. Sleep well?"

Humming softly, she drew his arm into her chest tighter and snuggled down beside him. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto watched her. Seeing her more or less drift off, Naruto cleared his throat. "Um, did we have to be getting ready to head to the guild or can we wait a bit longer?"

The girl groaned into his arm and shook her head. "Why'd you have to say that? I was enjoying not thinking about work."

Chuckling again, Naruto sighed. "My bad, my bad, no rush. I'll let you drift off again."

Sighing, Mirajane resignedly pulled herself from the warmth of her living pillow and stretched. "No, we gotta go. Another day, another job."

Tracing the girl's form with his eyes, he finally looked up at her face and grinned. "You may wanna fix yourself up. Things are falling out."

Pausing mid stretch, Mirajane looked down at the generous amount of cleavage that had fallen out for show. Shrugging, she continued. "Fair's fair. I mean, I got to see you topless all last night so just think of this as me returning the favour."

Pursing his lips, Naruto watched as she took a deep, contented breath. There must be something in the water over here because if she was like any of the girls from back home, she would have thumped him through the wall by now. Ero-Sennin was missing out big time.

Enjoying the sight for a little longer, Naruto watched as the dropped her arms and smiled at him. Placing her hands on the bed sheets, she then leant forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, and good morning to you too."

Seeing a cheesy grin start tugging at the blond's lips, Mirajane giggled and grabbed his hand. "Come on then, up you get."

XxXxXxX

Naruto sighed as he once again found himself sitting in that boring council carriage. That wasn't too bad though as he still had plenty of enjoyable memories to sift through.

After the wake up, they had eaten breakfast before casually making their way down to the guild. Once there though, they had been greeted by one of the council servants requesting that Naruto accompany them to see the members. Apparently it was pretty important too so was to leave immediately. So with a kiss to the forehead from Mirajane, he went on his way.

Sighing to himself, Naruto gently touched his forehead and growled. Whatever these council guys wanted him for had better been damn good cause he had really been looking forward to spending more time with Mirajane.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Hmmm, more fluff people? Maybe a bit much? Eh, it's the last that'll happen for a couple of chapters though so it's your fix until then._

_I actually have a bit of a question to you all too. If you haven't noticed, I've been keeping the suffixes solely to Naruto as I believe the language spoken in Fiore is English and there for lacking them. This is where the problem comes in. I can write the characters without the usual name suffixes easily enough, but Juvia is an exception as 'Gray-sama' is like the only way she knows how to refer to him. Whether I use -sama or not has absolutely no consequence within the story, I just would like to know what my readers think._

_On another note, I cracked 300'000 hits and 60 C2's. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. I'm so stoked right now. A big thanks to everyone who had read and reviewed because life is so good right now._

_Anyway, omake part 2, anyone? Oh... and you are gonna hate me ^.^_

**Omake Part 2**

Fiddling around with himself, Naruto found his hands slapped repeatedly by Mirajane as he unconsciously toyed with certain parts of his borrowed body he really shouldn't have been playing with. Groaning again, Naruto looked down at the backs of his hands and frowned when he saw they were all red. "Come on Mira-chan, you really need to be more gentle with yourself!"

Crossing her arms, Mirajane pouted. "Well, stop fiddling around with my boobs! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to watch you do something like that in public?"

Smirking, Naruto pointed to the bathrooms. "I can go some place private if you want?"

Narrowing her eyes, Mirajane glared at him. "You shall sit right there mister until Levy works out a way to fix us."

Sighing, Naruto looked back down at his red hands. Really taking a look at them, he noticed just how fine her fingers were. They looked like a gentle twist could snap them completely off. Rolling his hands over, he opened and closed them gently, really focusing on just how soft they were. There wasn't a callus to be found despite her hard work behind the Fairy Tail counter. Rubbing his hands together slowly, he smiled happily. It felt nice.

Suddenly a horrified shriek from behind them caused everyone to look over in shock. It seemed like Lucy had taken her eyes off Gray for one moment and in that time, the boy had managed to lose Lucy's shirt and reveal her body to the guild. Pretty much every male present was crowing uproariously as Lucy desperately tried to find her shirt and reclothe herself. Gray though had a surprising look of relief on his face, like he had started getting withdrawals from not stripping for half an hour.

Naruto watched on happily, getting his fill of the blond before turning back to look at Levy again. Jet and Droy had taken to bashing drums and cymbals behind her in a cheer squad format and generally just being useless. Creeping up beside her to see how she was going, Naruto was then knocked flying as Lucy body checked him into a pillar in her urgent rush to speak with Levy. "When will this be finished? I cannot handle this anymore! We only have one minute remaining!"

Seeing the girl sweating, Mirajane tried to pull Lucy away. "Let her figure this out! She has to!"

Macao had conveniently decided to start up a timer to count down the seconds until the spell was irreversible. Understandably, he was bashed into a blissful slumber by the tightly wound group. Tensions were high as the seconds slipped past, each one step closer to never being able to return to normal. Gasping at the last second, Levy suddenly stood up. "Aimakorob ihcusar ured oguu!"

With barely a second to spare, a bright light shone from the paper in her hands and shot out to hit the affected people. Each person winced as the awkward sensation rushed over them again and the room fell silent in apprehension. No one moved for a bit until Lucy's body twitched. Looking down over herself, tears of happiness began running down her cheeks. "It worked... Levy, it WORKED!"

Laughing joyously, the newly restored Lucy swept in and grabbed the girl before pulling her in and kissing her on the cheek. Levy blushed a bright red as Lucy let go and began dancing around the guild, ecstatic she was back to normal. Erza and Happy were patting themselves down in relief, so very pleased to have everything back to normal. Gray and Natsu had decided a celebratory scrap was in order and they were currently destroying massive amounts of furniture as liberal amounts of Gray's clothing got tossed everywhere.

Mirajane was smoothing out her clothes and nursing a bit of a bruise from when Lucy had smacked her body into the pillar. That was a minor inconvenience however compared to actually feeling the pain of her own body. Walking up to Levy, the bar maid bowed deeply. "Thank you so very much Levy, honestly I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't fixed it!"

Chuckling awkwardly, Levy scratched her head. "Oh, you know, just doing my bit!"

Smiling gratefully at her, Mirajane sighed happily as the noise of normality filled the air. "So how did you actually fix us?"

Looking back down at the paper, Levy smiled. "These old style languages don't have too much involved with their wording, so after not being able to figure anything out, I just read it backwards. Crazy huh?"

Shaking her head in relief, Mirajane sighed again. "Well, I promise I'll never read anything like that ever again!"

Letting out another relieved laugh, Mirajane turned to Lucy as the girl rounded the guild hall for the fifth time. "Lucy! You seem the most pleased of us all!"

Tears still running from her eyes, the blond nodded. "I know! I'm just so happy I don't have a stripper displaying my body to the world like some cheap hooker anymore!"

Bursting into tears, she slumped against Mirajane as she cried in relief. Patting her back in understanding, the bar maid then noticed Naruto hadn't moved since the change. Raising an eyebrow, she called out to him. "Naruto? Are you ok?"

Slowly, Naruto's head lifted and his fringe darkened his eyes. Frowning, Mirajane turned to face him better. "Naruto?"

Raising his eyes, a wide grin spread across Naruto's face as his teeth began to sharpen. Letting out a dark laugh, Naruto snickered as his eyes began bleeding a blood red. "**Why yes girl, I haven't felt this good in YEARS!"**

XxXxXxX

_NOT to be continued. _

_As said before, the omake has absolutely no relevance in regard to the main story plot. This is just a little thing people asked me to do, so I did it with my own slant on it =)_

_You may hate me after that, you may not. Either way, the reviews are well received! _

_Lanky Nathan_


	21. Chapter 21

Naruto was well bored by the time he reached the council building. While the memories from earlier were pleasant, there were only so many times a guy could run over them in his head. He had offered to the council servant that he could just run ahead, but his suggestion had been politely refused and then asked to remain seated.

Before the cart had even pulled to a stop, Naruto all but kicked through the doors and landed heavily outside, stretching his arms wide. "Maaaan, why does that trip always seem to get longer and longer?"

While stretching, the well dressed frog walked up and bowed. "Mr. Uzumaki, if you would follow me."

Casting a lazy eye over the interesting creature, Naruto pushed his fists into his back, popping a few vertebrae before falling into line. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Naruto looked over the usual features as he yawned. Looked like nothing had changed as of yet. Being led to the usual wooden doors, he was beckoned inside. Wandering up to the raised pedestal, he sighed as he looked up at the shadowed faces of the council. Noticing one with a seemingly pale complexion and long dark hair though, Naruto grinned brightly and waved. "Ultear-chan! I'm back!"

While she didn't wave in reply, the blond saw the upturning of her ruby red lips in a smile. It seemed she had to be all important and official for the moment, so that would have to suffice until a more natural greeting later. As Guran Doma stood up, the rest of the council seemed to quieten, even though there was no noise from them before. Taking his position, the imposing man looked down at the boy. "Uzumaki Naruto. We have called you in today to offer you a mission of great importance."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto let him continue. "It has been brought to our attention very recently that a dangerous structure is in the middle of being constructed. What is more distressing is that it is nearing the stage of construction where it is operational."

Moving to say more, Naruto cut him off. "Hang on, you say this thing is nearly operational, yet you only just found out about it? That doesn't sound too great for the resume."

The tall man's eyes hardened as he glared down at the young ninja. Taking a moment to compose himself, he carefully selected his next words. "Be that as it may, we are still taking it very seriously, whether the information was given to us now or several months ago. Now, if I may continue..."

Steeling an angry gaze at Naruto, he saw the boy wave his hand in a proceeding manner. "What we wish to do is to officially record its progression of construction. We want to know how big it is, what kind of people are working there and anything else of information you can gather for us."

Nodding, Naruto leant on the guard rail before him. "Alright, sounds interesting. What will I get out of it then? This sounds pretty dangerous if you know what I mean..."

He locked his sharp eyes with Guran's and held a form of a staring contest. Neither budged until a shadowed council member stood up. Naruto couldn't see who it was, but instantly remembered his voice as the creepy fellow who stopped Erza all that time ago. "Guran, with all respect I believe he is right. We can't send someone like this off without some form of incentive."

His shadowed face turned to look down at Naruto. "Uzumaki, what would you say to Five Hundred Thousand Jewels as payment?"

Snorting, Naruto grinned. "I can make that much back at Fairy Tail in about five of the local jobs. This is a bit more risky than cleaning boats."

A hushed wave of whispers then ran through the elders at the statement. Another person, this time a lady, stood up and pointed down at him. "Preposterous. That is bordering an S Rank mission payment."

Shrugging, Naruto raised his hands behind his head. "Whatever you say. If you don't believe me, go check the job book."

It seemed the grumpy old lady had more to say until she was cut off by Erza's acquaintance. "Ha, you sure are an interesting fellow Uzumaki! Fine then, how does Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand sound?"

Yet another council member stood up in outrage. "What? How can you expect the council to pay a person that kind of sum?"

Laughing easily, the man held a hand out. "Please, relax everyone. I shall meet the council halfway in the amount. Is that suitable to you, Uzumaki?"

Narrowing an eye, Naruto looked up at the shadowed man. His speech was pleasant enough and the offer was incredibly generous, but his gut trusted Erza and Erza didn't like this guy. He still didn't know why, but she had her reasons. She wasn't the kind of girl to do anything without a solid reason. Still, he was supporting the council in a group forum, so there wasn't too much room for him to use to manipulate things. For the moment, Naruto decided he'd take the job. "Alright... sounds fair. Is there anything else I should know of for when I get there?"

Retaking his position, Guran looked down at the teen. "The building under construction has the title of the Tower of Heaven. It is an R System project that we thought we had destroyed. There were seven in total, but this eighth one has only just been found. It is a powerful magic, capable of resurrecting the dead but at a horrible price. Be on guard for powerful mages though as anyone capable of keeping such a massive construction hidden from us would take a great deal of strength and intelligence."

Beginning to stretch, Naruto nodded. "Alrighty then. Directions to it please?"

Frowning, Guran shook his head. "You need not worry. The tower is located off the coast of the Caelum Kingdom. We will have the council guard take you there by our fastest coach and then we will take you the remainder of the way via boat."

Swapping stretch positions, Naruto laughed. "Thanks 'n' all, but trust me when I say it'll be way faster if I just run."

Raising an eyebrow, Guran studied the teen. What he was claiming to do was nothing short of a human miracle, but not much was known about his abilities and he had managed to defeat a former member of the Wizard Saints. Internally shrugging, Guran held a hand out. "Travel south of here until you come to the ocean. From there, it is across the strait on the closest side to Caelum."

Winding an arm around in a windmill, Naruto nodded. "Lovely. Be back soon."

XxXxXxX

Standing outside, Naruto was doing some last minute leg stretches when he felt a familiar presence behind him. Checking over his shoulder, a smile broke out on his face. "Ultear-chan! Coming to wish me good luck on my first test from the council?"

She closed her eyes and allowed a small smile to grace her face. "You certainly pick up on things quickly despite your external appearances. Yes, I have come to wish you all the best on the mission. Master Siegrain wished me to come and pass on his well wishes as well."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto stood up. "Siegrain?"

The dark haired beauty nodded. "Indeed, he was the man who offered you the mission payment. He is a very generous individual."

A slight frown tugged at Naruto's eyebrows but he hid it. "Yeah, he seems to be. Say thanks for me will you?"

Again Ultear nodded. "I'll be sure to."

Grinning, Naruto then raised a hand. "Well, I'll be off. I'll be back in time for another walk around the gardens if you're interested?"

Giggling softly, the lady nodded. "I would enjoy that."

Turning, Naruto took a step then paused and looked over his shoulder. "Just quickly, do you know if Siegrain had any prior relationship with Erza by any chance?"

Frowning, Ultear placed a finger against her lip in thought. "Titania? No, not that I know of. Why do you ask?"

Naruto shrugged. "Oh, just curious. I seemed to get the impression she knew him at some point. Ah well, not to worry. Catch ya later!"

Nodding, the beautiful woman remained silent as Naruto kicked off the ground powerfully, rapidly surging away into the distance.

XxXxXxX

Dashing along Naruto couldn't help but wonder about that strange lady. She seemed like a reserved enough woman, but there was something odd about her. It didn't worry the blond too much though as he knew she'd tell him whatever it was eventually cause that's what friends do.

Jumping a rock, Naruto landed and crossed his fingers. Instantly surrounded by twenty or so identical replicas of himself, Naruto grinned. The distance required to travel was going to take a while by even his standards, so why not try a little training while at it?

The clones around him all brought their hands together in the Ram seal as they focused their chakra. Watching closely as the first of them began levitate from the ground, Naruto studied them as they managed to maintain control of their actions for a while before they lapsed and spiralled off, out of control until they hit the ground and dispersed. Sifting through the experience instantly transferred back to him, Naruto nodded. Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.

Holding the ram seal, Naruto started jogging along with his clones flanking him, all copying him. Pushing the energy into his feet, Naruto jumped and focused on turning the now wind natured chakra beneath his feet into a jet of sorts. Feeling the instant jump in acceleration, Naruto stretched his hands out wide with a cry, his arms flapping about wildly as he tried to control his trajectory. Hearing similar such results happening all around him, Naruto fought for control for a while longer before the jet overpowered him and sent him into a dizzying barrel roll. Seeing the flash of ground pass his vision, Naruto tensed and huffed heavily as the wind was knocked from him.

Closing his eyes as he tried to catch his breath, the blond heard his clones all smack into the ground around him like little meteorites. Feeling the influx of memories, he gulped in another breath as he organised his thoughts. Taking another thirty seconds, he then stood up. Coughing once, Naruto crossed his fingers again and once more was faced with a number of clones, this time closer to the number of fifty. Stuff being all restraint in his use of clones, flying was damn fun and he wanted to learn NOW. Narrowing an eye, Naruto contemplated the thought and as such, quickly raised his fingers and created another fifty more.

Grinning at his fellow blonds, Naruto raised a fist. "Let's get this down!"

Hearing a joyous cry of approval, Naruto laughed and jumped into the air again, flanked by the one hundred chakra constructs.

XxXxXxX

It took a few hours and many, many crashes, but eventually Naruto began getting the feel of the unique technique. He'd worked out that the reason he kept face planting was because the angle of his 'jet' wavered around from time to time. It had to be kept pointing down from his feet perfectly at all times no matter what his body angle, else he'd lose control and end up munching worms. Still though, all the unexpected snacks as paid off and the blond was now sailing along relatively comfortably about six feet over the ground, hands held wide to help try and stabilise himself. Another little thing he picked up was that he could bank and turn using his hands against the air currents. It felt kind of dumb flying along with his hands held out like some boy from a corny fairy tale (no pun intended), but he'd deal with that once he got the ability better under control.

Hearing a call from a clone beside him, Naruto looked over to see it pointing. "Hey, water!"

Naruto then watched as the clone lost control of his flight due to the removal of one rudder and was sent smashing into the ground with a puff. Turning his eyes away from the death of himself, Naruto squinted and sure enough, could spot blue growing in the distance. Smiling happily, he gently eased on the chakra output and raced towards the ocean.

Nearing the beach, a thought then hit Naruto. He'd spent all this time trying to fly, but never any time trying to land. Thinning his eyes to strips, he thought over the predicament. If he tried to land like this, he'd just belly flop the ground and ruin his jacket. That was something to be avoided at all costs.

Trying to work it out, Naruto then heard Lucy's voice start floating through his head. Frowning as he tried to recall what she said, the blond groaned. Remembering lectures was never a strong point of his.

As he tried to remember, several words like 'downward force' and 'greater than' began to flick through his mind. If he remembered right, then it had something to do with pushing yourself up. A light lit up in his mind as an idea sprung forward causing the blond to grin and let himself fall forward in a front summersault. The blond ended up on his back with his legs out in front of him, pushing the wind chakra out before him, grimacing as he fought for his control and balance as the powerful jet was now turned into a powerful break. He felt more than saw his clones follow his lead, the memory of several losing control and smacking into the ground colouring his mind.

Try as he might though, Naruto eventually lost control and flipped over towards the sandy beach. Throwing his hands out, he landed in a heavy handstand and cushioned his fall with a roll. Jumping to his feet, Naruto turned and looked back to see three or four clones execute the landing perfectly, the rest of the flock smacking into the ground much the same as he did. One of the clones closest to him then let out a laugh and pointed a mocking finger at him. "Ha! How do you feel? You face planted while us three landed perfect! We should be the original, not you."

Growling, Naruto pointed a finger back. "Yeah, well I'll be getting all your memories so in your face!"

Cancelling them before they could retort, Naruto sighed and rubbed his head. Stupid clones. One or two of them always seemed to pop up from time to time. Turning back to look out over the water, Naruto brought a hand to his brow and squinted out against the bright sun. It didn't look like anything was out there, so Naruto guessed that this kingdom must have been a long way out. Dropping his hand, Naruto grumped. Times like these called for a tree or something for an aerial view.

Rolling his eyes as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Naruto pushed the wind back under his feet and felt the unstable feeling return. Pushing against gravity, Naruto took to the sky, rising high above the ground and ocean. Looking out at the horizon as his view increased, Naruto squinted and tried to spot anything that resembled land. As he continued to rise though, Naruto began to find it difficult to see anything due to some weird fog that had started rolling through. It looked like there may have been something in the far distance, but it was hard to see. Looking around in frustration, Naruto tried to see where it was coming from. He then looked down and froze.

It seemed like while he hadn't been paying attention, he had accidentally risen high enough to touch some low lying clouds. Unfortunately, low lying still meant three hundred or so feet. Doing his best to hold himself steady, Naruto took even breaths as he tried to figure out what to do. 'Ok Naruto, just breathe, you got this. Cut a little power, drop slowly and all will be right.'

Cutting a bit more than expected, Naruto began descending rapidly, his arms flapping around wildly while he cried out. Quickly upping the power, Naruto felt himself level out and he heaved a sigh of relief. A three hundred foot plunge to the earth was not on his to do list. Composing himself, Naruto then took a breath and tried again.

Following that then were a series of uncoordinated drops and stops as Naruto did his best to get himself down safely. It took a while but eventually Naruto cut power about ten feet over the ground and dropped to the safety of the ground. Wiping his forehead, Naruto let out a nervous chuckle at how he managed to get out of that. Still, he had managed to spot a thin line of brown off in the distance so the unplanned trip to the clouds was a success.

Not quite willing to risk his luck again by flying over the water, the blond jumped out over the surf, landed on the salt water and took off into the distance.

XxXxXxX

Wiping his brow, Naruto shook off some stray dots of sweat and looked around. It felt like he had been running for an hour but it could have been anything out here. The land behind him had all but disappeared and the blond was left with nothing but the sun to keep his course straight.

As he ran though, Naruto began to notice some floating fish. Their physical appearance was incredibly weird, but their bodies were being rocked around by the gentle waved fairly lifelessly. Frowning, he detoured over to one of the closest ones and knelt down. Poking it, he wrinkled his nose and stood up. His finger had punched a hole through its bloated flesh easily, indicating it had been out here for a while. It was a bit interesting though that it hadn't been devoured by fellow sea life after its death. Turning to look out over the horizon, Naruto spotted another few fish scattered out at large intervals across the ocean. Frowning, the blond narrowed an eye slightly. One fish may have been a coincidence but two or even three was definitely an indication something was wrong. If they were all uneaten, then it meant their predators were also either dead or had fled the waters. While not an expert, Naruto knew that usually meant poison.

Turning to look up at the sky, Naruto noticed a gathering of dark clouds off in the distance. It didn't seem like much, but their rather localised position seemed a bit unnatural. The trail of fish seemed to be roughly clustered in that direction so with a kick, Naruto headed out.

XxXxXxX

Nearing the clouds, Naruto looked around cautiously as the ominous darkness enclosed him. He'd spotted a tall, dark pillar a way back and Naruto would bet his beautiful jacket that that was the so called Tower of Heaven. Dashing across the water, he neared the rocks and jumped up onto land. Crouching, he looked up at the massive building.

Riddled with shadows, the absolutely enormous building stretched way up into the sky, the tip of the thing a tiny bulb in the distance. Closer to the base, Naruto could see that massive metallic pipes made up the foundation of the thing. Chunks of oddly placed gold nuggets and giant cogs stuck out from the tubes, seemingly having no rhyme or rhythm to their placement.

Below that (and what Naruto was currently standing on) was an enormous craggy platform created from hundreds of spiky rocks jutting up into the air from the ocean, all varying in size from Naruto's height right up to seventy plus feet. Rugged paths twisted and wound their way along from the water's edge up to the base of the tower. That was where things got tricky.

Spotted along the pathway were numerous guards, all wearing the same grey trench coat uniform and mask that hid the upper half of their faces. Each also seemed to have a long spear that Naruto guessed was able to conduct magic. If that wasn't enough, about half the guards he could see had these massive... _things_ leashed to them.

They were completely hairless, looking like massive pink rats with the legs of a bulldog. The largest of them stood at double the height of the guards, their gigantic, underdeveloped heads raised high in the air, their snouts twitching as they sensed the air. Where most animals had eyes, these things just seemed to have more mouth as the lip line seemed to travel right back to meet their thickly set neck. Vicious teeth protruded from the upper and lower jaws as they snarled, the gleaming white shards meshing cleanly but looking like they could cut smoothly through steel. Some of the things even looked like they had wings, indicating they could probably fly. Thick, studded collared were secured around their necks and Naruto guessed that those things were the only thing that stopped the creatures from turning on their masters and eating them whole.

While they had no visible eyes, ears or nostrils, they still seemed acutely aware of their surroundings. Reaching down, Naruto picked up a small stone and lobbed it over the guards. They didn't seem to notice, but the nearest of these things watched it intently. Suddenly one lashed out as the stone passed it, snapping its maw around the projectile before grinding it to a salivary paste. The guard cried out in anger, pulling on the things leash and making it sit beside him. "Damn things. Honestly, Master Jellal should have reconsidered using these as guard dogs. They are _way_ too dangerous."

Another guard spoke up after the first spoke, amused with his reaction. "Perhaps, but you must admit they are amazingly effective in battle."

Grumbling, the first guard shrugged. "Maybe... but I still don't like the idea of it turning on me. I've seen too many other guys get eaten by their dog."

Laughing cruelly, the second guard shook his head. "Bah, that doesn't matter too much. Most of them were weak anyhow, so their dog must have sensed it and turned on them."

Tuning out from the conversation, Naruto frowned. So these things were extremely perceptive of their surroundings, much more so than their masters in any case. It seemed they were even able to feel the fear of the humans around them, turning on the ones that didn't seem like they were in control. Getting past these things by air or foot was going to prove a challenge, but Naruto had a bit of an idea.

They sensed fear. The most powerful ball of malice and fury lived within his stomach. If Naruto used even a small amount of the Kyuubi's chakra, they should in theory feel the affect far more than anything else. So clasping his hands together, Naruto closed his eyes and dug into his subconsciousness.

Finding the never ending trickle of red flowing from the seal into his person, Naruto focused and pulled. He instantly began feeling a warm tingling spreading throughout his body and he absentmindedly ran his tongue along his teeth as they sharpened. His nails began to grow and he furrowed his eyebrows as he limited the amount. He didn't want too much and have an overload start alerting people to his position. He knew even this small amount was having an effect however because the dogs were now roaring dangerously. He could also hear the guards begin shouting nervously as the wave of evil washed over them.

He could hear them begin clambering around as the dogs pulled free from their grasp, the rapid stomps of the heavy beasts fading as they escaped from the feeling. Turning his enhanced eyes to the sky, Naruto also saw a few of the winged animals flying up the tower to land high up on its walls, their hallowing cries ringing out over the open expanse of water.

Waiting a moment longer, Naruto then looked over the rock he had taken cover behind and found that the coast was now clear. Swallowing, Naruto reigned in the inhuman energy and sighed as his form returned to normal. Wiping his brow with a sleeve, he crouched low and began heading towards the tower.

XxXxXxX

Creeping inside, Naruto kept a sharp eye out for any guards that mightn't have fled yet. The mangled doorway he had walked through was more like a cave opening than anything, but once inside the hollow structure Naruto frowned. Tools lay discarded about the place, the earth all chopped up like people had been digging for something. There were also some shackles that look like they had been ripped open, but these were far fewer in number.

Sticking to the shadows, Naruto made his way over to a staircase that lead up the wall of the building. Beginning his climb, Naruto passed a number of floors that seemed to wrap around the circumference of the tower. All along the walls were metal cages, doors wide open and looking like they were in a state of disrepair. He could almost hear the voices of the people past who used to live in those enclosures and it did not sound good.

Looking higher, Naruto saw the stairs continued upwards for another hundred feet before disappearing into a solid stone ceiling. He hadn't seen anything since setting foot in the tower so the blond picked up his pace.

Reaching the entrance to the ceiling, Naruto pushed up on the trap door and looked in. It was a clean room with nothing all that interesting to look at. Several corridors ran into the walls from where Naruto could see, so he guessed that was his next move.

Taking a quick look around, Naruto pulled himself out cautiously and dropped back into the shadows. Holding himself still for a moment, his blue eyes flashed around before confirming no one was present. Still alert though, Naruto stuck to the wall as he made his way over to the nearest corridor.

A shadow seemed to pass over the area and Naruto instantly froze in place, his breathing stilled to minimise as much movement as possible. As he waited though, the shadow seemed to get darker and darker until the room started to disappear into the inky blackness.

Instantly realising that wasn't natural, Naruto clapped his hands together and whispered, "**Kai (Release).**"

The black instantly dissipated but the blond was a moment too late as a strange tubular material suddenly jumped out at him and wrapped him up. Struggling against the bonds, Naruto felt them tighten to the point that he lost his footing and dropped to the floor. Landing in a heap, Naruto looked up and saw two figures walking towards him from the far right hole in the wall.

"You should stop struggling otherwise my **Kitty Restraint Tube **will tighten to the point where you can't breathe."

Stilling his movements, Naruto observed the first of the two as they neared him.

She was a young girl, maybe a bit younger than Erza and a bit shorter. She had the most interesting face however as she looked more like a cat than anyone Naruto had ever seen before. While most of her shoulder length hair flicked outwards at the tips, the top sides of her head had her hair pulled up in an exact replica of cat ears. Her wide brown eyes looked down at Naruto curiously, her tiny little nose twitching occasionally. Even her lips were like that of a cat with the very middle pulling upwards towards her nose. She had a pair of triangle tattoos wither side of her cheeks with the points of them facing her nose. Her actual clothes were fairly normal, her pretty pink blouse showing through an unzipped yellow coat. She had this short, frilly, pale pink skirt on that was topped off with white, thigh length stockings and blue shoes.

Nodding, Naruto relaxed to show he understood. "Alright. Mind telling me how you knew I was here? I couldn't sense anyone."

A snort drew the blonds' attention to the next person. "All I will tell you is that Jellal was right in wanting to capture you. To have reached this far with only his notice is impressive."

Frowning, Naruto tucked away that name for future reference. That was the second time he'd heard it. Whoever this Jellal fellow was must be pretty powerful to be able to observe him without detection. Still, Naruto catalogued the speaker as he walked.

He was a massive man, his size comparable to that of Elfman's. He was shirtless, revealing his broad chest and shoulders to the world. A wide, embroided cloth hung over his left shoulder though, draping down to be tucked into his sash along with a single green, wrist length sleeve down that one arm. A pair of long baggy pants covered his lowers, revealing a pair of simple boots below. His face however was incredibly distinctive, much like his partner.

His had a turban wrapped around his hair and an eye patch covering his left eye. The most unique part of him though was the massive armoured metal plate that seemed to cover his entire lower jaw line from ear to ear. Teeth were fashioned into it as well to give it a more intimidating appearance.

Watching them calmly, Naruto waited until their feet stopped in front of his face before looking up. The second he did though, the girl let out an amazingly high pitched squeal and knelt down right before the startled blond. Her eyes widened even more so until they seemed to fill her face, her hands clasped before her in an endearing manner. "AH, YOU HAVE WHISKERS JUST LIKE A KITTY CAT! That is just so cute!"

She then reached out and began stroking his cheeks, the girl literally purring with the excitement. Unable to really do anything, Naruto just looked at her companion. "Uh, must she really?"

The man shrugged. "She has a thing for cats and your interesting facial marks have aroused her curiosity."

Struggling to sit up, Naruto felt the bonds tighten around his chest. Hearing a disapproving hum from the girl before him, Naruto looked up as the girl sighed. "What did I just say? The more you struggle, the tighter they get! You can't even use any magic either because they suck out your magic power."

She then smiled sweetly at him and patted his head sympathetically. Rolling his eyes, Naruto looked up at the man. "So, will you just leave me here or..."

Shaking his head, the man bent down and lifted the blond up with ease. Draping him over his shoulder, he started walking. "No, you will be taken to a prison cell. We don't want you interrupting anything."

Doing his best to ignore the girl as she continued to stroke his hair, Naruto frowned. "You mean with the resurrection of someone or something?"

The man looked over his shoulder at him and hummed. "You seem to know a bit about what is going on. Yes, we must keep you away from things."

Shaking his head, Naruto heard the girl laugh sweetly in amusement and reach out to tickle him under the chin. "Seriously, are you going to do that the whole way to my cell?"

She nodded happily. "Yup, cause you look just like a kitty-kitty!"

Groaning, Naruto resigned himself to the affection as they continued to walk.

XxXxXxX

Finally reaching the cell he was to be kept in, Naruto was dropped against a stone pillar. He felt the tubes around him wriggle about as they expanded, most probably tying him to the rock behind him. Looking up at his captors, Naruto frowned. "You know, you guys don't seem all that evil. I mean, the guards outside were nastier than you."

The girl just shrugged and smiled while the tall man sighed. "I believe being evil or not has nothing to do with it. We simply need something that Jellal can offer us."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Surely there's gotta be a better way? I mean, is something like this really that important?"

The man shrugged. "It doesn't matter to you. All I can offer you is the advice to sit tight and just stay here. We will come for you later."

Turning, they began to walk away when Naruto called out. "Hang on, what are your names atleast?"

The girl giggled and ran back up to him for one last pat. "I suppose we can tell you that. I'm Millianna and that is Simon. We'll see you soon cutie!"

Turning, she then skipped out the door and disappeared from view as Simon turned back. Pulling a key from his pocket, he locked the door. Testing it with a shake, he gave Naruto one last look before following after Millianna.

Watching them leave, Naruto listened as their footsteps faded into the distance. Eventually they disappeared altogether and Naruto was left to his thoughts.

So, what he had worked out thus far was that this guy Jellal was manipulating Millianna and Simon for something that he probably wasn't going to uphold in the end. His type never did. Jellal however was a powerful dude that could watch Naruto's movement's even while he himself was completely hidden. That made silent travel pretty much impossible.

Nothing of any real interest was found on the floors he had passed though so Naruto guessed that the bulb thing on the top floor was where all the action was. It was also most probably where he'd find Jellal.

While he wasn't originally out to question him, Naruto's cover was well and truly blown so there was no real reason why he couldn't go and say hi quickly. All he had to do was free himself of the bands.

Looking down at them, Naruto tried shuffling around again. While elastic, they instantly tightened against him and restricted his movement even further. Had he been a normal mage, that would have presented a problem. It was a good thing he didn't have a drop of magic in him then.

Pulling chakra into his muscles, the blond began straining against the bonds. They seemed to squeak as they tried to pull back against the opposing force as Naruto's muscles bulged. Unfortunately for them, a highly conditioned ninja reinforced with chakra was something well past their strength thresh hold. With a final rubbery squeak, they snapped and instantly dissipated into the air.

Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto rubbed an arm as he looked at the cage. Holding out said arm, Naruto let his chakra begin to manipulate the air around it and then he pushed in some nature manipulation to sharpen things up. Walking over to the iron bars, he stuck his hand through the gaps and the mini tornado instantly shredded the barrier. Metallic clangs echoed through the empty hallways as Naruto stepped through, his ears ringing from the intensity as the bars hit the ground. Chuckling to himself, Naruto looked around. If Jellal hadn't known he'd escaped, then he sure as hell knew now.

Looking up, Naruto saw another ceiling a hundred feet up. The rapid tapping of someone running in his direction reached his ears so Naruto wasted no time. Channelling chakra to his feet, Naruto pushed off and began shooting up towards the roof. Hearing a disbelieving cry beneath him, Naruto grinned and held his arms out in front of him.

The handy tornado sprung to life as Naruto fed the chakra into the air, the vortexes picking up pace as more energy was forced into them. Hitting the roof with a thump, a grinding sound filled the room as Naruto bored his way into the ceiling easily, his body disappearing into the rock.

Exploding out the other side, Naruto found himself in a similar room, though this time it was filled with guards all along the floor and walls. Groaning as they all shouted in surprise, Naruto did his best to pick up the pace. Unfortunately word spread fast and a large number of guards and their dogs jumped into the air from above, all their sensed honed in on the flying blond. Crying out as the first attack just barely missed him, Naruto then had to start performing a number of mid air manoeuvres that he hadn't had a chance to try as he dodged the airborne assailants.

Twisting and flipping his way through the guards, Naruto found himself smacking into the sides of the dogs more than once, sending them flying away into the walls from the force of the hit. He never really planned any of those tackles but hey if it works, it works.

Bursting through the last of them, Naruto looked up to see the roof only a few feet in front of him. Crying out, instinct took over and Naruto thrust his hand out, a bright blue light exploding into life before eating away at the ceiling with ease.

Chunks fell down around him as he burst through, the chakra to his feet cutting off and sending him up into the air before gravity took hold again and pulled him to the floor. Landing heavily on his stomach, Naruto groaned and looked over. Turning to look back at his hand, he then realised he had somehow managed to pull a Rasengan out of his ass, no clones or anything. Sitting up, he looked at his hands happily. He must have finally learnt how to do it over time but never realised since he always used his clones!

"Oi, don't you move!"

Looking up, Naruto sighed as he saw fifty spears levelled at him, the sharp ends all glinting dangerously. Standing up, he then cried out in pain as something jabbed him in the back. "I said don't MOVE!"

Growling, Naruto crossed his fingers. "**Kage Bunshin.**"

Instantly surrounded by seventy clones, Naruto pointed out at the shell shocked guards. "Sick 'em."

The floor then turned to chaos as an all out war started between the seventy identical blonds and the guards that once surrounded the original. An orange streak then popped out from the dust, propelled along by an air jet as he continued his assent. A frown was on his face as he glared at the next roof. He just hoped the next room was Jellal and not more guards 'cause he was not in the mood.

XxXxXxX

Two rooms filled with guards later, Naruto exploded through the roof and into an entirely different floor. Cutting off his energy, Naruto dropped to the floor and looked around. It seemed he had stumbled into the main overseer's room. A large blue crystal protruded from the floor in the middle of the room, a Lacrima if Naruto could remember correctly. Spreading out from it was an intricately designed decoration that encircled the base of it. A few doors sat at the front of the room, light shining in through them softly. At the other end of the room sat two massive pillars stretching up to the ceiling. The wall was cut back three dozen or so feet between the pillars to house a fancy looking stone throne.

Weird writing on the wall behind it looked down at the almost key shaped head piece. Frowning though, Naruto stopped looking at the decorations. There was someone lounging in the chair, their head lazily upheld by their fist. The male's legs were crossed and a smirk was on his shadowed face as he watched Naruto eye him up. Bringing his hands together slowly, he then began clapping. "Well done... very well done. I was not expecting you to be able to make it here so quickly. I guess I underestimated you."

Squaring his shoulders, Naruto jutted out his chin. "You Jellal?"

Laughing, the man shook his head. "So blunt and to the point. Yes Uzumaki, I am Jellal."

Widening his eyes, Naruto pointed at him. "Oi, how do you know my name?"

Smirking, the man stood up lazily. "Oh, I know one or two things about you."

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto tried to see his face. Something seemed familiar about him. His voice in particular. Trying to keep him speaking, Naruto looked around. "So this is the main control of the R-System thingy hey? Looks kinda boring."

Laughing, Jellal shook his head. "Blunt and dense. What a combination. Yes Uzumaki, I know it may look boring, but it has a certain charm about it when you know what it is capable of."

Widening his eyes, Naruto then finally put the voice to a name. "Hang on, is that you, Siegrain?"

Smirking, the man removed his head and Naruto dropped back a step in absolute shock. "Mystogan?"

The man's face was a picture perfect replication of the Fairy Tail mage, right down to the scruffy blue hair and tattoo. Frowning slightly, the man shook his head. "Mystogan? Why would I remind you of him?" His smirk returned after that though. "You were right about Siegrain however... he is my twin brother."

Blinking a few times, Naruto catalogued his thoughts. Siegrain and Jellal were brothers that looked exactly like Mystogan. The only thing Naruto could come up with was that Mystogan had come from that other world he had spoken of, so that must have meant that this man before him was his Earthland counterpart or something like that. Shaking his head, the blond focused. "Whatever. What I wanted to ask you was why you wanted to bring back some dead guy?"

Sighing, Jellal put a hand on his hip. "Really, all these questions and I don't even get to ask one? That's not very sporting."

Naruto gave him a flat look. "You just said you knew 'one or two things'. That usually means you know a whole lot more."

Shrugging, the smile returned. "Maybe, but I still have questions such as where do you come from? What is your magic? I know about a great deal of mages in this world and I know ones with your power level are hard to be kept hidden."

Treading carefully, Naruto shrugged. "Just lucky I suppose. I never went out in search of fame."

Jellal hummed. "I'm sure there's more to that than what you just told me, isn't there?"

Naruto remained impassive. "Maybe, maybe not. So you gonna answer my question now?"

Laughing, Jellal shook his head. "My, my, so abrasive! Still, you gave me an answer in a form, so I'll give you one. I'm not just wanting to resurrect a 'dead guy' as you so eloquently put it, I want to create paradise. I just need _his_ help."

Pointing a finger at the mage, Naruto shook his head violently. "Oh no you don't. SO many people always slip something like _that_ into their speech but then never get round to telling me what _that_ is!"

Smirking, the man shrugged. "I suppose I could humour you then. I intend to bring back the glorious Dark Mage Zeref."

Blinking a few times, Naruto's eyes then thinned and he tilted his head to the side. "Seriously, what makes you think you can create paradise with an evil, dead guy? If anything, you'd bring back hell! Is your twin as dumb as you? Cause that would really suck."

The smirk on Jellal's face instantly disappeared and he levelled a dangerous glare at the blond. "What would you know? A rookie mage who got a lucky break into the Ten Saints couldn't hope to comprehend the wonders Zeref can provide."

Frowning, Naruto considered the mage. "You sure do know an awful lot for someone who's been stuck out here for ages."

The man didn't blink. "I have good informants. Now, I have much more pressing matters than my curiosity into one strange little blond enigma. If you'd just go back to your cell, that would save me much time. I doubt you'll do that for me though..."

Lowering his center of gravity, Naruto focused on him. "Nope, things to do, places to be."

A strange gold aura then began to glow around the mage as he heard Naruto's refusal. He began smirking and Naruto's eyes widened as he saw something in the man's eye begin to change. A strange, light purple, oblong ring began to encircle his left pupil, opposing arms sticking off either side of it. His smirk changed to a tainted grin as his clothes began ruffling around from the wind his power generated. "Well I'll just have to take you there myself, won't I?"

XxXxXxX

_A/N – yes, I know that is a horrible spot to stop, but I couldn't help it. I'm going away soon for a week so I don't know if I'll get another chance to update before then. I'll leave you with that though so hopefully you'll be content enough for the moment. For anyone who cares, I also expanded on the morning after scene last chapter. _

_Also, I checked everything for errors, but then the damn program closed on me and I lost everything I edited. That means I got uber lazy second time around, so if you see anything wrong you now know why._

_Lanky_

_P.S. I may... and I say MAY be able to get another update up before I leave. Fingers crossed but no promises._


	22. Chapter 22

Naruto watched as the power continued to billow out from the mage before him. While it was growing slower than he expected, he still wasn't about to underestimate Jellal. The man was a complete unknown so anything he could do could potentially be life threatening.

Deciding that he'd watched Jellal glow for long enough, Naruto took the initiative and withdrew a kunai. His hand flashed and Jellal had to duck his head to just avoid catching the projectile to his forehead. Growling, the man looked at the tool imbedded in the wall behind him. "You're eager to have some bones broken aren't you?"

Frowning, Naruto just held a hand out as he lowered into the first stage of the **Kawazu Kumite (Frog Kata)**. "Don't think I'm going to let you keep charging your energy. Come at me."

Smirking, the man crouched. "As you wish."

Flickering from sight, Naruto's eyes widened as the blue headed mage phased into existence behind him, arm reared back for an attack. His limb shot down to knock Naruto's head from his shoulders but was taken by surprise when Naruto disappeared. Looking down, he saw the knife Naruto had thrown at him a moment earlier now in his place, dropping to the floor.

"Over here stupid!"

Suppressing a growl, Jellal looked up. "Don't be surprised if I kill you b-"

The sentence was cut short as an immensely powerful uppercut snapped his head backwards and lifted him off the ground. Before he could even think, a roundhouse kick then embedded itself into his guts, forcing air and spittle from his gasping mouth as he shot back and slammed into the wall.

Struggling to regain his breath, Jellal looked up and saw two Naruto's smirking at him. For some reason though, the blond nearest to him seemed to have smoke coming off him was standing right where that knife had been. Chuckling, Jellal pulled himself from the crack and dusted himself down. "Is that the best you can do? Not much for a supposed Wizard of the Ten Saints."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and pointed at Jellal's shirt. "Yeah? I saw a badge of your own just before I sent your ass into the wall so you can't say jack."

Looking down, the mage saw his medallion had indeed fallen from his shirt. Tucking it back securely, he shrugged. "Well spotted. I'm currently only at half power though. Think of it as a friendly handicap between fellow mages."

Both blonds frowned and crouched. "You'd wanna rethink that unless you like having you teeth kicked in."

Laughing, Jellal's glow picked up again. "Whatever you say."

Flashing away, both Naruto's trained their eyes on the fighter as he shot around the outsides of them. Whatever this ability he was using was giving him phenomenal speed that rivalled even Fuzzy Brows from home.

Raising an arm, Naruto blocked a high kick and returned one himself. Ducking, Jellal then dived forward in a burst of speed, tackling Naruto to the ground. He took a solid knee to the gut as they landed but ignored that as he ploughed a fist into the blonds' face. He heard a muffled yelp before the teen beneath him suddenly went up in an explosion of smoke.

Blinking in surprise, Jellal almost missed the other Naruto as he charged in, a glowing blue orb in his hand. Flattening himself against the ground, the mage shot a hand out and snagged Naruto's foot as he shot past. Crying out as he went head first into the ground, an explosion rocked the building as that blue orb in Naruto's hand detonated, the surprisingly powerful attack punching a massive hole through the floor.

Pushing himself off the ground and jumping back, Jellal whistled and laughed as he saw Naruto shaking debris from his hair. "Well now, that was a bit unexpected. I guess that temporary position of yours is actually somewhat earned."

Standing, Naruto pulled a stray lock of hair from his eyes. While interesting, the fight itself wasn't really a part of the mission. What he needed to do was get back to the council guys, tell them what they wanted and then eat. He was getting pretty hungry seeing he had skipped lunch.

Naruto then tensed as he watched the mage raise an arm. A dark ball began forming in his palm, growing outwards until it was the size of a **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)**. Smirking, the mage clenched his fist and crushed the strange ball. "Time to take you back to your cage, boy."

Feeling something unnatural, Naruto looked down and saw what looked like a number of translucent black and purple worms sticking up from the floor under his feet. Instinct kicked in and the blond jumped high into the air, but the worms were fast. Lashing out, one caught his foot and before he could blink, Naruto found himself wrapped up in a prison of the weird things.

Instantly a painful spasm rocked his body as the tainted energy constricted him. Gritting his teeth, Naruto looked through the murky walls and saw Jellal standing near the sphere, smirking while he watched Naruto wriggle in pain. "Well, I guess you did alright. I expected a little more from you but I suppose a temporary Saint can only do so much. Anyhow, it's time to take you back to your cell."

While inside the sphere was painful, it still didn't compare with much of the pain Naruto had experienced in his life. Hell, training was usually worse than this. As Jellal turned away, Naruto grinned and forced his hands together. "**Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique).**"

His chakra reached out and touched Jellal. The second it did, it gave the mage a mighty tug and instantly replaced Naruto's position with Jellal's. Hearing the surprised cry from behind him, Naruto turned and looked up at the man. "Don't think you can take me so easy. Anyway, I'd love to stay and fight but I really must be going."

Turning, Naruto looked at the nearest wall and charged. Holding his hands out, tornados once again sprung to life around his arms as he dived into the wall. Boring a hole clean through it, Naruto popped out the other side and looked down. 'Probably should have thought that through a bit more.'

Resisting the urge to panic, Naruto focused on pushing his chakra to his feet and he felt the saving wind begin to lift him up and rescue him from the three hundred plus plummet to the ocean. Holding his hands out for stability, Naruto pushed and began escaping over the water. An explosion behind him only made him try fly faster but a powerful shoulder charge to the center of his back ruined that plan.

Spiralling around uncontrollably, Naruto let out a yelp as he tried to stabilise himself. Not even thinking, he pushed chakra to his hands the same way he did to his feet and he instantly felt himself regain much control.

Levelling out, Naruto released a shaky breath and looked up at the blue haired man. He was grinning confidently down at the blond as he once again enshrouded himself in that gold glow. "Huh, so you can actually fly? That's a rare ability. It looks like you only just learnt how though, so this means you're in my element now!"

Raising his knees, the mage then kicked off an imaginary platform and shot towards Naruto. Letting his fighting side take over, Naruto cut the chakra flow to his feet and felt himself drop like a stone. Jellal rocketed past just out of reach, but the agile mage banked sharply and shot right back at Naruto. Clenching, the blond crossed his arms over his chest and received a powerful blow right to the center of his forearms. His downward fall instantly changed to a horizontal one as the force of the hit knocked him back.

Shaking his arms out, Naruto pulled feeling back into his hands before spreading his arms and legs out. Forcing chakra to all four limbs, Naruto felt himself slow to a stop. Jellal meanwhile was shooting around the sky in unpredictable zigzags in an effort to confuse the blond. He'd dart in only to bank up in a feint, causing Naruto to miss his block and open himself up to attack elsewhere. It only took one or two of these before Jellal struck and delivered a punishing blow to Naruto's kidney. Crying out, the blond flinched and allowed the mage to get in another hit, this time to the top of his head in the form of a double hammer.

Instantly shooting down headfirst towards the water, Naruto shook off the remaining pain and held his hands out in a last ditch effort to avoid smacking into the water's surface. Forcing chakra to them, he felt his momentum slow, but not by enough. About twenty feet over the water, he cut the energy flow and tucked, rolling over to land feet down. Crouching as he hit the ocean, a massive plume of water exploded up around him as he displaced enough water to allow him to remain afloat. His legs were tingling pretty badly after the landing but Naruto just ignored it and looked up.

It seemed that their fight had drawn attention and Naruto saw that a number of guards had assembled around Jellal, their dogs howling viciously as they circled. Seeing his chance, Naruto didn't hold back.

Pulling upon the foul chakra within him, Naruto instantly saw a red haze cover his vision. Looking up, he smirked happily as the dogs instantly went haywire, the overload of the Kyuubi's chakra stressing them out to an uncontrollable degree. Guards were sent screaming from their seats on the dogs shoulders as they bucked about; the flailing enough to rip the reins from their hands. Ignoring that, Naruto focused on Jellal as he looked around in frustration, having to dodge the crazed animals as they began attacking each other in the air.

While still clear headed, Naruto was tainted enough by the malevolent chakra to want to get in one last hit on the arrogant mage. Focusing on a dog, he clasped his clawed fingers as the animal passed right beside Jellal. Smirking, he lashed his chakra out and snatched the animal from its place in the air.

Jellal didn't stand a chance.

Fuelled on adrenalin and a little bit of demonic chakra, Naruto appeared behind the mage with a hand raised high in the air. Smacking down with incredible open handed slap, Naruto howled as the blunette was sent rocketing into the sea. A tremendous explosion of water shot up into the air with a boom, the force sending Jellal deep into the murky depths.

Looking around, Naruto saw that any remaining dogs and their guards had all fled from him, the fear inducing aura around him having done its job well. Smirking, Naruto took one last look at the still churning water where Jellal hit before turning and shooting off towards Fiore in a flash of red.

XxXxXxX

It had taken a while for Naruto to completely rid himself of the Kyuubi's chakra as the intoxicating boost of speed it was giving him while flying felt incredible. The red streak shooting out from behind him was a freaking awesome touch too. Still, the blond knew he shouldn't have really been using it like this in the first place and reluctantly let it fade. He definitely had to give it a go with **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) **later though.

Having passed well back onto Fiore ground, Naruto was heading back for the council when a voice he hadn't heard for a while entered his mind. **"Human, can you hear me?"**

Rising his eyebrows, Naruto nodded despite the fox not being able to see. "Yeah, I'm here. What do you want?"

The fox growled. **"Mind your tongue while talking to the king of the demons. I wanted to tell you I felt another rift in the time/space fabric that separates this world from ours."**

Now that was interesting. Holding his hands out, Naruto awkwardly made his way down to the ground. This was something he wanted to be fully focused on and he didn't trust himself enough yet to fly via second nature. Landing, he sat down on a comfortable rock and closed his eyes. Receding into the depths of his consciousness, Naruto opened his eyes and found himself standing before the gigantic prison held within his belly.

The fox apparently was pleased with Naruto's prompt arrival and didn't even try and charge him through the cage. Naruto noticed but didn't comment on it. "Really? Where is it?"

Looking off to the side, the fox sniffed. **"Oddly enough, it is exactly where you came through first time. It even has the scent of the man who calls himself your sensei on it."**

Ok, now that was very interesting. Naruto nodded and looked up at the fox. "Anything else?"

The monster shook its head. **"No. I suggest you hurry. I wouldn't want to miss our chance at getting home due to your incompetence."**

Brushing off the insult with ease, Naruto let himself fade from sight. "Don't you worry, I want to get home just as much as you."

Just before he faded though, he heard the fox call, **"Tell me what you find brat. I wish to know what is happening."**

Mission or not, this called for a detour. Standing, Naruto called upon the natural energy surrounding him and felt the powerful force fill him. It looked like he'd get a chance to try out **Senjutsu **flying earlier than he expected.

Easily spotting the fresh chakra signal, Naruto crouched before jumping powerfully from the ground, the jet from beneath his feet exploding to life at the apex of his leap and rocketing him towards the horizon.

XxXxXxX

Looking down over the tree tops, Naruto glanced around as he neared the chakra signal. His original landing point was right... around... there.

Pushing his feet out in front of him, Naruto's forward momentum was quickly halted. Holding his hands out a bit wider, Naruto manipulated the air around his outstretched limbs and easily dropped towards the ground. **Senjutsu **sure made landing easier. Hitting the earth with a thump, the blond waved away the cloud of dust he generated and ran over the bit of a hill. Excitement began pooling in his chest as he neared the area, his lungs tightening at the prospect of finally getting home.

Had Kakashi come to get him? Maybe someone else? Oh he hoped someone, anyone he knew was here! If only to find out if everyone back home was ok.

Unfortunately, it was none of those things he hoped for. Instead, a scroll lay tightly wrapped on the ground, the Hokage's seal on it. A little put out; Naruto still knew it was better than nothing. Reaching out, Naruto couldn't help but think that this may have just been a joke. He hadn't heard anything at all about home for so long and then all of a sudden this?

The thought only lasted a moment however as Naruto's hand clamped around the reassuringly physical object and picked it off the ground. Now that it was in his hand, the realisation properly sunk in and a smile began creeping across his face as his chest started heaving rapidly in anticipation.

Sliding a fingernail under the seal, Naruto popped it up and slowly pulled the scroll open. The first thing that greeted his eyes was the elegant handwriting of the current Hokage, his beloved Tsunade-baachan. Grinning stupidly, Naruto couldn't help but feel a touch of his homesickness fade at the familiar writing style he was used to.

Dropping carelessly to the floor, the blond crossed his legs absently and began reading.

"_Naruto! You stupid, insatiable, frustrating, bull-headed excuse for a ninja! Where the hell have you gone and landed yourself? I have been worried absolutely sick!"_

Chuckling softly, Naruto smiled gently at the clear concern in his foster grandmother's words.

"_Kakashi told me what happened and how that failure of a sensei managed to send you to a whole other dimension. Don't you worry kiddo, I dealt with him ever so severely for that. What the hell was he thinking, trying to use __**Kamui (Authority of the Gods)**__ around you? Anyway, all I can say that I am so very happy to hear you are ok. Do you have any idea how many wrinkles you're giving me? I swear even my hair is going gray!"_

Naruto tried to envision the buxom lady with wrinkles and gray hair. It didn't work.

"_I suppose you might not know how we discovered your location so I'll try make this as simple as possible. Apparently you had tried to summon at some stage because Ma and Pa came to tell me about what they had discovered. They guessed we had no idea either about where you had disappeared to thankfully because we had no way to contact them with you gone. For some reason, you had summoned a tadpole and a young toad, I'm guessing you were trying to find a way home? Anyway, what information they could get from them was that you were in a world entirely different from anything they had ever seen before. A good world, but different. Oh, and on that note they said to scold you for summoning that tadpole so many times in a row. It was sick for a week after that."_

Naruto's eyebrow twitched slightly at reading that. He didn't mean to make the thing sick.

"_Seeing as they were so young, the news they were able to give was fairly limited. That is how we got the information you were ok though, so be thankful to them for that."_

Smiling again, Naruto nodded slightly to himself. Those young toads deserved a big thank you once he got back.

"_So, now that I know you are ok, I suppose I should tell you about how Konoha is doing."_

Instantly perking up, Naruto pulled the scroll a little closer. This is what he was looking for.

"_After you killed Pein, everyone in the village somehow came back to life! No one really knows how, but I assume you probably have something to do with that. You always do. The entire population owes you a massive debt of gratitude for that. So many had died in the attack... but that doesn't matter anymore. Everyone is safe and healthy and that's all that matters."_

Letting out an unconscious sigh of relief, Naruto felt a massive weight lift from his chest. So everyone really had come back to life, just as Nagato had promised. If there was anything the blond regretted, it was that the man had to die with that final technique. Naruto would have loved to have thanked him again for that. Shaking his head from his memories though, he read on.

"_Konoha itself though... it is a dustbowl. Yamato however is proving to be invaluable and is speeding up things a butt load. That __**Mokuton (Wood Release)**__ of his is helping more than I ever thought possible. We still have a long way to go till Konoha is back on its feet, but progress is rapid and we even have a number of other of surrounding villages that have decided to come help out. I assume you remember Inari and Tazuna? They, along with most of the construction workers from Wave, have come out and really put their heads down. Apparently a debt they also owe you from a mission back when you were even more of a little brat."_

A happy smile spread across Naruto's face at their mention. He hadn't seen them in so long! Inari must have grown heaps by now. It was good to hear they were doing well though.

"_Anyway, I just hope this scroll lands somewhere near you before some local bum picks it up. Actually, I hope Kakashi manages sends it to the same dimension as you! For one of the elites of the village, he sure is incompetent."_

Naruto let out a bark of laughter. He wasn't expecting that.

"_For now though, the toads are working on a way to reverse summon you back home. It seems that the dimensional gap is pretty big and even Gamabunta can't summon enough chakra to pull you back across the rift. If you were a tenth of your current size maybe, but not how you are now._

_We can't really do anything else to help until the toads work out how to get you home. We don't even know when it'll be, so don't be surprised if you suddenly get summoned when you least expect it. Kakashi wanted to send himself over to get you but I couldn't allow that. Even if he had managed, there's no guarantee he'd actually send you back to Konoha. For all we know, he might send you both on further to an even more distant dimension. _

_So for now, I order you to take a vacation. This is probably the only chance I'll ever get to tell you to take the time off where you have to follow my order, so I'm going to use it. Clear your head after the fight, make some friends (if they even speak your language), do some training and just generally regain your energy._

_Stay safe for me, don't make too much of a mess and I dearly hope to see you again soon. _

_Take care,_

_Tsunade-baachan"_

Lowering the note, Naruto looked to the sky with a sad smile and tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. He was so relieved that everyone was safe after the whole fiasco, but the note had reawakened his longing to see everyone again. It was a good thing that Tsunade had ordered him to take time off otherwise he'd be right back out there trying his damnedest to get home.

Actually... remembering the council thing, Naruto sighed. Take some time off from ninja business perhaps, but this stupid stuff the council now wanted was just another chore. He was meant to be relaxing damnit!

Remembering the fox, Naruto decided he'd best let the fuzzy know what he'd found. Sinking into his mind again, Naruto found himself looking up at the massive creature. It turned its head to the side slightly so it could see him better. **"Well?"**

Having the scroll in hand when he went down, Naruto opened it up in his hand and quickly read the contents again. "Well, it seems that Konoha is ok, thankfully. My friends too."

Growling, the fox head butted the cage. **"I care less for that mud hole less than I care for you. Tell me what I really want to know!"**

Unable to resist, Naruto smirked. "Awww, you care for me?"

Kyuubi pulled a face like he tasted something foul. **"Don't flatter yourself human. I only care for my own survival which happens to be tied to yours. The second I'm free however is the second I kill you."**

Frowning, Naruto shook his head. "That's not how you ask for information."

If looks could kill, Naruto would have been hung, drawn and quartered all at the same time right there and then. **"Brat... you will tell me what I wish to know or so help me I will ruin your precious little life here."**

Realising he was starting to push boundaries, Naruto relented. Even if his dad's seal was holding that thing back, Naruto didn't doubt it'd find a way to create mayhem around him. Quickly scanning the scroll, Naruto looked back up. "Apparently the toads are looking for a way to reverse summon me home. We're a _long_ way from out dimension though so not even Gamabunta can generate enough chakra to pull me home. Once they do though, it's back to the elemental nations with us."

Smirking, the fox leaned back on its haunches. **"That's more like it brat. I like that news. It is frustrating that I have to be stuck here for an indefinite period of time, however I can wait. You can leave me now; I am satisfied for the moment."**

Not really wanting to hang around much longer in the sewer of his mind, Naruto nodded and faded from view.

Opening his eyes, Naruto sighed. Pulling himself resignedly to his feet, Naruto carefully sealed the scroll away. Reaching up and tightening his head band, Naruto nodded to himself. After this little game was over, he was going on a trip to a beach somewhere to lie in the sun, drink unhealthy carbonated drinks, maybe take Mira-chan along and perve on some scantily clad women. Aside from Mira of course; his eyes would be on her most of the time. She didn't seem to mind if he looked at other girls though. Hell, if he worded the question right, she might even help him spot some.

Smile now firmly etched onto his face, Naruto stretched. Hearing a stream burbling not too far from where he was standing, Naruto wandered over and took a long drink. Standing, the blond now felt more refreshed in body and soul than he had in a while. Twisting several times, he heard his back pop before jumping into the air and letting his newest technique carry him away.

XxXxXxX

Landing before the council building, Naruto allowed him a little giggle. Flying was freaking awesome! It made him feel like a super hero or something. Looking up to the sky, Naruto saw the horizon bathed in beautiful red's and gold's as the sun sunk over the mountains. Nodding to himself, the blond promised himself a feed fit for a king after this for a job well done.

Dusting himself down, he walked in and was instantly greeted by a council servant. Bowing deeply, the frog hold a hand out. "If you would be so kind as to follow me Master Uzumaki Naruto."

Now used to the formal speech, Naruto just nodded and let the frog lead the way. Reaching the usual door, Naruto didn't even wait for it to open for him and simply pushed his way through. Smirking at the surprised guards that manned the doors, Naruto strutted right past them and jumped up to the pedestal. He didn't have to wait long for Guran to step forward.

The man looked down at him with raised eyebrows and cleared his throat. "Well now, when you said you would be faster than our carriages, I didn't expect you to be quite that fast. Still, we thank you for your prompt assessment of the situation and await your response."

Nodding, Naruto looked around the expectant forms. "Yeah, well that R-System thing is pretty well completed like you said. It's gotta be like five hundred feet tall or something stupid like that. It's just enormous. Ha, if I wanted to bring back some dead dude I sure wouldn't do it like that."

Nodding, Guran motioned for him to continue. "It seemed like there used to be workers there, slaves or something, but they had all left well before I got there, like a few months before I got there. There were a ton of guards but, and they had these creepy, hairless, giant rat things that were all teeth that they called dogs."

Naruto heard a surprised whisper run through the mages but it was too soft and scattered to be understood. "I also ran into these two people who were helpers. Willing helpers, but they didn't seem evil. Just mislead."

Siegrain's voice then floated down from the side. "Can you describe them to us?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup. One was a cat girl. She had this crazy hair style that made her hair look like ears. She also had these weird triangle tattoos on her face that pointed for her nose. She had a pink blouse and skirt combination on with a yellow jacket. The other was this huge dude with an iron jaw. He had an eye patch too, covering his left eye. Baggy pants, shirtless, had this weird rug thing draped over his shoulder that was tucked into his sash. Oh, and he also wore a white turban. Their names were Millianna and Simon."

Seeing Siegrain's head nod, Naruto frowned. "There was also one other person too. You might know him? He said he was your twin."

A loud gasp filled the room as all eyes locked onto Siegrain. Hearing a sigh from the mage, Naruto crossed his arms. "So it _is_ true hey? I had my suspicions that Jellal was involved."

Guran had turned his attention on the man and was staring him down. "And when exactly where you planning on informing the council of this?"

The mage sighed again. "When I had more concrete proof. Naruto provided plenty of that right now."

Looking down at the blond, Siegrain rubbed his forehead. "Did he say what his goal was?"

Nodding slowly, Naruto looked around the council members for a moment. "He said he wanted to revive Zeref."

That piece of information made the council explode exactly the way Naruto expected. Angry shouts and disbelieved gasps filled the room as the men and women began fighting amongst themselves, all arguing with each other about the best way to deal with this threat. Seeing that there wasn't much of a chance that he'd get spoken to after that, Naruto shrugged and turned to step down. He'd done his part; let the council guys now do theirs. For the moment though, FOOD.

XxXxXxX

Thus far, the council building was the only place Naruto had found that cooked the food of the gods so he was making good use of his time here. The last hour or two had passed rapidly, uncounted bowls lying strewn about the table, all practically licked clean of their brothy goodness. Grinning up at the struggling servant, Naruto grabbed a bowl from the top and pointed at a clean section of the table. "Just throw those there for the moment. I'll get to them in a sec."

Dropping the several packed bowls, the frog wiped its brow with a sleeve before piling up all the empty bowls in its arms. Pulling them from the table, a loud clank sounded out from above the amphibian as Naruto expertly tossed his now empty bowl to the top of the stack. Resisting the urge to groan, the servant managed a partial bow before stumbling back to the kitchen.

Blissfully unaware of his attendants plight, Naruto tucked into his next bowl happily. Slurping up the arrangement of noodles and other goodies, his eyes closed up while a smile curled the edges of his lips. Sighing pleasantly, Naruto distantly detected a person's presence as they neared him. Slowly opening his eye, he saw the dark haired beauty smiling down upon him as she had when they had first met. Giving her a quick smile, Naruto stuffed his mouth with the rest of the bowl and dropped it. Taking a moment to swallow, Naruto let out a burp and motioned to the vacant seat beside him. "Ultear-chan! You don't have to stand. Join me!"

Smiling softly, she slid into the offered chair gracefully. Watching as Naruto tucked into another bowl, she smirked. "I guess I'll have to wait until you finish before we can go on our walk?"

Smiling sheepishly, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, if that's not too much. I cannot find anywhere else that does such amazing ramen, so I'm getting my fix now."

Rolling her eyes, Ultear placed her elbow on the table and rested her cheek in her palm. "You realise most guys would drop everything to even accompany me for a walk down the street?"

Chuckling around a mouthful, Naruto swallowed. "Yeah, but I also realise I'm not most other guys and I make a point NEVER to drop ramen. Besides, I bet you'd just find them annoying. The fact you're willing to wait for me while I eat shows you enjoy my company."

Smiling disbelievingly, the beautiful woman shook her head. "Every time, _every _time I speak with you, I feel like I'm just talking with a fun loving boof-head and then you go and say something like that. You truly interest me, Uzumaki Naruto."

Picking up the last bowl, Naruto smiled happily. "That's cool, cause you interest me too! You're so different to the girls back home."

Raising an elegant eyebrow, Ultear tilted her head slightly. "Back home?"

Realising his slip, Naruto smoothly covered with a simple lie. "Yeah, back in my home village. There's a girl there I like but she... well, she doesn't like to be kept waiting. And doesn't tolerate perversion all that well. It usually ends up pretty painfully."

Frowning, Ultear then shrugged. "Well, who you do or no not like isn't up to me, but she sounds a bit misguided. Atleast with the 'perversion' side of things. I take it if you even mention anything about a ladies physical form she snaps?"

Raising his eyebrows, Naruto nodded. "Yeah! How did you know?"

She smiled softly. "I have met one or two women like that. They are in denial of their own hormones if they think every little look is perverted. I like how a male's body looks and I can certainly tell you like how a ladies body looks, if our first meeting was any indication."

Chuckling, Naruto nodded. "Yeah... you caught me."

Shrugging, the council member pushed herself to her feet. "I take it as a compliment, so thank you. Are you finished?"

Never had a woman thanked the blond for checking her out before. Grinning widely, Naruto gave her thumbs up. "No problem! If you ever need a confidence boost, you know where to find me."

Giggling to herself, she reached out and slapped his arm gently. "Now that's a little more perverted."

Shrugging, Naruto pushed himself up too. "Eh, I can't help what makes me tick."

They then walked from the dining hall and out into the moon lit garden. Again, they were mostly silent as they walked, simply enjoying each other's company. Comments were made about certain flowers and plants that caught their interest but that was about it.

As they walked though, Naruto couldn't help but sneak glances at the woman beside him. The silvery light of the softly glowing orb in the sky seemed to light up shimmery, winking colours in her face and hair that wouldn't have otherwise been seen in the sun.

Turning his head away to avoid being caught, Naruto bent down to look at an interesting little plant with odd leaves that caught his attention. His eyes may have been on the plant but his mind was elsewhere, like on the girl beside him.

Looking back, Naruto finally met her eyes. It seemed she had been staring at him too. Grinning, Naruto pointed at her. "Caught you."

A very light blush seemed to dust Ultear's cheeks. She ignored it and wrinkled her nose. "Only now? I caught you five minutes ago!"

Pausing, Naruto grumbled to himself and stood up. That wasn't how it was meant to go. Ultear didn't seem to mind however, simply giving him a knowing smile before moving onto the next object of interest in their walk.

A couple minutes later into the stroll though, Naruto's eyes lit up as a thought came to mind. "Hey, how come you aren't up with the other members? I'd have thought you'd have to be involved with them after that thing with Zeref."

Sighing, the woman nodded. "Yes, I should be. I still am technically. I sometimes just send a thought projection out to give me a clear head for when the meeting finishes."

Stopping, Naruto raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "A thought projection?"

Looking back just as curiously, Ultear cocked her head. "You're a Wizard of the Ten Saints, yet you don't know what a thought projection is?"

Naruto raised a finger. "In my defence the title is only temporary. I can't be expected to know everything."

Shaking her head in amusement, Ultear motioned for a bench they were near. Sitting in it, she continued. "A thought projection is essentially a copy of the original. I am such a copy. What I do is separate my magic power to give myself a separate form."

Eyebrows widening, Naruto nodded. "Oh! You mean like a clone? Yeah, I can do that!"

Crossing his fingers, a puff of smoke went up and fully functional Naruto clone stood beside them waving happily. Smiling, Ultear nodded. "I find it exceptionally curious that you can do this, yet you don't even know its name."

Naruto shrugged. "Eh, I call it something else. I think mine's a little different to yours though."

Ultear raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Chuckling, Naruto scratched his head. "Uh... you haven't really told me enough for me to be able to explain."

Sighing, the woman continued. "Very well. As you noticed, I can interact with physical objects even though I am a copy of my original. We share thoughts though, and that is how I keep my head clear in the meeting."

Nodding consideringly, Naruto hummed to himself. So that's how it works huh? It was pretty similar to what he could do. Actually...

Naruto's eyes began to widen. Looking up at his clone, he saw the chakra construct had the same thought. Whipping his head back to face Ultear, he looked her in the eye. "Ultear-chan, listen to me very closely. I want you to tell me what is happening in the meeting right now."

Furrowing her brows in confusion, Ultear sat up a bit straighter. "I don't follow..."

Naruto shook his head. "You'll know soon enough if I'm right. What is happening?"

Frowning, the woman retrieved her originals thoughts. "Well, they are talking about what they want to do with Jellal and the Tower of Heaven. Master Siegrain is actually pushing to have it destroyed, despite his brother being in there."

Naruto leaned in, a hand on the woman's arm. "How?"

Leaning back, Ultear blinked. "I can't tell you. That is council business."

Growling, Naruto jumped to his feet. "Are you gonna fire some massive attack at it?"

The woman said nothing, but the slight stiffening of her posture gave it away. Widening his eyes, Naruto took a step back. Looking at his clone, he nodded. "Ultear-chan, my clone will explain everything. I gotta go!"

Turning on his heel, he left the surprised woman as she called after him.

Charging through the halls, Naruto skidded to a stop before one of the council servants. Grabbing it, he gave it a light shake. "Where are the council members?"

Fearfully, it pointed upward. "**E-Etherion's** control room, Master Uzumaki."

Muttering a quick thank you, Naruto turned and scaled the nearest set of stairs he could. Reaching a hallway, Naruto looked left then right as the corridor stretched away in both directions. Growling, he randomly chose left and sprinted down it.

As he ran though, a strange light above began to form, the eerie glow shooting in through the windows as whatever it was lifted off into the sky. A terrible feeling of foreboding washed over Naruto and he doubled his speed.

Reaching yet another set of stairs, Naruto skidded to a stop before it and saw the sign, 'Etherion Control Room' with an arrow pointing up it. Not sparing it a second glance, Naruto turned and ran up the stairs taking eight at a time.

Reaching the top, Naruto was confronted by a solid stone door that had been locked from the inside. Banging on the stone, Naruto called out desperately. "Hello? Hello! Can anyone hear me?"

Pressing his ear against the wall, he strained his hearing for a response. Growling at the distinct lack of anything, he jumped back. "Screw this."

Forcing a **Rasengan** **(Spiralling Sphere)** to life in his hand, he jumped forward and punched a massive hole in the door. If that didn't get the council members notice then nothing would. Jumping inside, he heard a chorus of outraged shrieks as he looked up.

Naruto found himself at the bottom of a huge, domed room, looking up at four massive angel statues facing inward at each other in the center of everything. A gigantic dirty brown ball floated in the middle of them, sparks of electricity coursing its surface from time to time. Floating around the ball were several council servants, all looking down at Naruto in shock at his entrance. About two thirds the way up the massive room was a balcony that circled the wall, giving everyone on it the ability to see what exactly was going on between the statues. That was where Naruto found the number of furious council mages all glaring down at him.

An older lady with sandy blond hair looked down, absolutely livid with fury. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, UZUMAKI?"

Brushing it off, Naruto held out a hand. "Punish me later! What were you doing to destroy the Tower of Heaven?"

Spluttering in outrage, the woman couldn't even form coherent words, let alone reply to Naruto's demand. Forcing chakra to his feet, Naruto dashed up the walls of the room and jumped onto the balcony with the furious council. "Won't someone tell me?"

Looking around, he saw Siegrain smirking at him. Growling, he lept forward and grabbed the man's shirt. "What the hell did you do?"

Chuckling, 'Siegrain' lifted his chin defiantly. "Something that I couldn't have done nearly half as well if you hadn't relayed all that information back here for me. Well done on figuring me out, but it's too late for you or your friends now."

Laughing, he instantly faded from view and the substance in Naruto's hands vanished. Growling angrily, Naruto spun around to face the council members. "How could you not know? He _WAS _Jellal!"

Hearing a gasp, Naruto groaned. "You're meant to be the smartest and most powerful mage's in the whole world! What is wrong with you? Can't you detect even a simple clone?"

A number of excuses and denials reached his ears but the blond just shut them out.

Suddenly a voice called out in shock as information regarding the state of the Tower of Heaven was relayed back. "The target is still standing! It... it looks like a giant Lacrima! It has absorbed **Etherion**!"

Screaming in frustration, Naruto looked around. "Will someone PLEASE tell me what happened, dattebayo?"

Just then, a small hand grabbed his pant leg and gave him a shake. Looking down, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he saw the man.

He was about Makarov's height with a long face, bushy eyebrows and a neatly trimmed moustache that sat just beneath his nose. He had a simple, striped orange shirt on with a pair of pale pants and shoes, but it was what was on his head that got Naruto. Just like Makarov, it was the weirdest head piece, sort of like a brimless cap but then with three, thick, fabric protrusions sticking up out of it, looking like it had been designed with a hunters blade in mind.

Looking up at him urgently, the man frowned desperately. "Uzumaki, I plead of you, follow Siegr – Jellal and try stop his plans! The council decided to destroy the tower with the magic **Satellite Square: Etherion**, yet it seems that the tower has absorbed it. None of us here can move at the speeds you can, so until we can get to the Tower of Heaven my trust must rest with you."

Eyes widening, Naruto didn't respond and instead turned, pushed a **Rasengan** to life in his hand and charged at the nearest wall. Lashing out with a cry, Naruto blew a hole clean through the solid stone and jumped through without a second thought as wind exploded out from his feet and sent him rocketing away into the dark sky.

They could complain all they wanted about the hole, but Naruto was way more worried about what Jellal was trying to pull. He just hoped he could get there in time to stop him.

XxXxXxX

'Come on, come on, come on, come on!'

Pushing himself as far as he could, Naruto strained his eyes as he tried to spot the massive tower in the distance. Before he saw the tower however, he saw explosions accompanied by gigantic jets of flame shooting into the air.

There was only one mage who he knew who could do that. While not the strongest mage, Natsu was pretty durable so Naruto was fairly sure the boy must have thrown a sizeable wrench into Jellal's plans. What he was doing out here however was a bit of a mystery.

As he neared the tower, Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the metamorphosis. Where rock and stone used to be stood a massive blue crystal, the jagged spikes sticking up from the ocean, reaching hundreds of feet into the air.

Shooting in, Naruto stretched his feet out and landed with a solid crunch into the crystal. Running the short distance to the plateau, Naruto skidded to a stop as he saw Natsu and Jellal currently trading blows above and around him. Hearing his name though, Naruto looked down.

Widening his eyes, the blond dashed over to Erza who was currently lying down and looking pretty well beaten up. To the blonds' surprise, the big guy who captured him earlier was also lying prone at her fingertips. Simon or something. Casting a quick glance at him though, Naruto suppressed the urge to ask Erza what happened. He was clearly dead.

Dropping to his knees beside her, he checked her injuries. "Erza! What is going on? What are you guys even doing here? Are you hurt badly?"

Shaking her head, the red head held a hand out. "Leave me, stopping Jellal is more important right now!"

Looking up, Naruto saw Jellal cop a seriously powerful punch from Natsu. Strangely though, the boy looked different. His magic power seemed far greater than before and from what the blond could see, he now had scales coating his arms and face and just generally looked more reptilian. Casting a sidelong glance at Erza, Naruto frowned slightly. "You sure? Natsu seemed to be doing pretty well for some reason."

Shaking her head again, Naruto was surprised to see tears actually forming in the corner of her eyes. "You don't understand! Jellal is evil! Even if Natsu is winning, you must make sure you kill him!"

Eyes widening greatly, Naruto faced her fully. "Hang on, _kill_ him?"

Squeezing her eyes shut, the woman looked away in anguish. "Yes. If he is allowed to live, Zeref will be revived and the world will plunge into darkness. Please Naruto, _please_ stop him!"

Hearing the sorrow etched into her words, Naruto reached out and touched her shoulder, ignoring the sudden explosion behind him that tore at his clothing and hair. "That's a tough ask, to kill someone who means a lot to you."

Tear streaked eyes turned to look up at the boy as he smiled down understandingly. "It's easy to tell. You clearly care about him. I have a friend like that too... my best friend in fact. He's abandoned my village though and has even tried to kill me. If I can I'll save him but if it comes to it, I will have to kill him. For now though, I'll do my best to stop Jellal in your place."

Watching on in confusion, Erza furrowed her brows as she looked up at him. Smiling reassuringly, Naruto looked up to see Natsu land a devastating blow to Jellal's face. His head whipped sideways rapidly as he tracked the mage's flight path straight into the Lacrima. Sweat dropping slightly, Naruto actually wondered what more could be done. Natsu was handling things pretty well on his own.

Hearing a groan, Naruto saw Jellal pulling himself from the hole in the crystal looking bloodied and broken. The mage noticed him however and cast him a surprised look. "How did you get here so fast?"

Frowning, Naruto clenched his fists. "When I'm needed somewhere, I get there. Right now you need to be stopped, so I'm here."

Smirking despite the painful bruises blossoming on his face, Jellal raised an eyebrow. "You should have stayed with the council Uzumaki. My underling is probably destroying the place as we speak."

Freezing, Naruto locked eyes with the cocky mage. "What was that?"

Laughing, Jellal just barely avoided a streaking Natsu as he ploughed into and through the Lacrima beside him. "You heard me! The council building is being destroyed! To make way for the new council I will create! For the new world!"

With every word he said, insanity seemed to creep further into his eyes, dilating his pupils and stretching his unnatural grin grotesquely wide. "I will create the perfect world, a free world, where no one will suffer! I will do all this and more with Zeref's help! NO ONE CAN STOP ME!"

"SHUT THE HELL **UP**!"

The ground beneath the crazed mage literally exploded like a volcano, jets of white hot flame shooting into the sky with a deafening roar. Jellal's scream was barely audible over the thunderous noise and Naruto could understand why. Even standing a good thirty feet back, the searing heat from the fire needed him to raise his arm to protect his face.

It lasted a few seconds before Natsu jumped through the hole, glaring up at the sky, his piercing eyes tracking Jellal's charred form. "Naruto, go make sure those old geezers are alright! I got this!"

Flames pooled under the mage's feet before he exploded into the air, propelled along by a fiery jet. The blond absently realised that Natsu was flying pretty well, but ignored the thought. Taking a step back, Naruto growled. Trust Jellal to have something like that in his back pocket. Looking over at Erza, he gave her a questioning hum.

She wasn't much use however, more or less stunned into silence by Natsu's incredible display of power. Realising it was up to him, Naruto groaned. Running up to the girl, he knelt down before her. "Here, come with me, I gotta get back to the council and stop whoever's destroying their building."

Snapping out of her trance, Erza shook her head. "N-no, I can't. I... I want to make sure Jellal is beaten."

Shaking his head, Naruto grabbed her arm. "It's not safe, come with me!"

"NO!"

Dodging the slap, Naruto looked down at her. Her tear filled eyes were brimming with emotions that Naruto had never seen on her face before. Sighing, Naruto heard another boom behind him as Natsu sent Jellal through another jagged outcrop. "Fine. You keep yourself out of trouble though ok?"

Standing, Naruto made to jump away when he heard Erza call out, "Wait, please!"

Turning to look at her, he saw her staring down at the bloodied body of Simon. "Can you please take Simon? He... I want him to get home safely so we can bury him properly."

Another boom rocked the tower they were standing on. Looking at the heartbroken girl, Naruto sighed. Kneeling down, he took her up in a quick hug. "Yeah, I can do that. You just make sure you get home safely. We still have that date to go on that you wanted."

Feeling the girl pull into the comforting embrace, Naruto held her tighter for a second as she whispered into his ear. "Yeah... we do. Thank you."

Smiling, Naruto pulled away and gently picked up Simon. "No problem. I'll see you back at Fairy Tail, if not earlier."

Seeing Erza offer him a small smile, Naruto sighed again and turned. Crouching, the ground beneath his feet crunched as he pushed off, the powerful jet of air beneath him carrying him and his precious cargo away towards the council building.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – I toiled pretty hard to get this chapter out for you people. I really hope it was worth it! I did my best to write everything as closely to canon as possible with Naruto in there ruining everything haha. Let me know if it felt like it was 'canon' enough._

_For anyone who's wondering, no I don't think Naruto has seen Tsunade without her henge on. The only time before Pein that he could have seen her was back with Jiraiya when they went hunting for her. She dropped it then, but I'm pretty sure Naruto was KO'd at the time._

_Timeline wise though, here's a quick rundown:_

_Natsu and the gang weren't that far from the tower as the resort was right there on the shoreline. They could have made the journey in a few hours. That happened while Naruto was in the tower snooping around._

_Millianna and Simon were called back to deal with Naruto. They had that teleporting/summoning magic they used to appear in the hotel Erza and the rest of them were staying at, so I couldn't see why they couldn't deal with Naruto the same way if they were close enough._

_Tellemicus, sorry mate, I didn't have enough time to write your idea down. Next chapter I should be able to though =)_

_To everyone who reviews too, you'll have to wait a little while before I can reply. Not my fault. Oh, and on that note, I would ask that anyone who can sign in to leave a review to please do it! I had some really awesome questions/suggestions left my anon reviewers last chapter and I was unable to reply to them =(_

_Anyway, I guess I'll see ya's next chapter._

_Lanky Nathan_

_P.S. Oh... and can anyone say 2000? XD_


	23. Chapter 23

'I really need a nap after this.'

The stray thought entered Naruto's mind as he shot over the land of Fiore. The council building was still a while away but with the frequency he was travelling to it, he could almost make the trip in his sleep. The bulk of Erza's close friend still resting over his shoulder didn't really help with conserving energy either. All these trips were taking their toll on even his immense reserves.

He had left the Tower nearly twenty minutes ago and from the pace he was reduced to, it was still another half an hour at least till he made it there. A small amount of indecision had formed in his mind during the flight due to this. He highly doubted whoever the underling was would still be there when he arrived, so it was almost worth him staying back with Natsu and Erza to make sure they got home safely.

The cranky old bats that made up the wizard council needed to be checked on though. Naruto was also particularly keen to see if Ultear was ok. He really hoped nothing had happened to her.

Shrugging the uncertainty to the back of his mind, Naruto readjusted Simon and lowered his flight path a little closer to the ground. This would be tricky, but it should be possible.

Bringing his hands up into a messy cross, Naruto focused and a clone suddenly dropped to the ground in a puff of smoke. It rolled several times before skidding to a stop.

Ignoring it as it disappeared into the distance, Naruto waited. He needed a boost and he needed it now. It didn't take long until the familiar rush filled his system, so with his energy levels sufficiently raised, Naruto pushed down with a major part of his chakra and shot into the distance.

XxXxXxX

The blond's eyes widened as he saw the building nearing in the distance. What was once an impressive stone structure was now replaced by masses of rubble and boulders. Standing off to one side though were the council members, all looking up at the lumps of rock helplessly. Swooping in, Naruto landed heavily enough behind the mages to lift them all off the ground from the shock. As they turned, Naruto found himself targeted by the elders eyes. "Uzumaki! How did you get back here so fast? What is happening at the Tower?"

Kneeling, Naruto gently placed Simon on the ground. Standing and wiping his brow, Naruto took a breath before answering. "Everything at the Tower is under control... I think. Natsu and Erza are there and they are managing Jellal. I wasn't there too long until Jellal told me someone was destroying this place though, so I came back."

Several sets of eyebrows rose at his report. The older lady with the sandy blond hair that roared at him earlier for breaking into Etherion's room spoke up at this, a whole lot softer than he had first heard. "So, you mean to tell us that Fairy Tail is fighting Jellal?"

Naruto narrowed an eye in thought before shrugging. "Well, members are, yeah. Not the whole guild though. Just those two from what I saw."

The woman frowned. "What were they doing there?"

Naruto shrugged again. "I dunno. I didn't get to ask."

Nodding silently, the woman was then replaced by the small, strangely dressed man that had initially helped out Naruto. He walked up to the large man by the blonds' feet and sighed. Crossing his arms behind his back, he looked up at Naruto. "And who is this poor soul?"

Sucking in his lips a little, Naruto frowned. "This is Simon, one of the workers I told you about. It seems Erza knew him pretty well though. He was dead when I got there."

Shaking his head in despair, the man looked him over. "Such a waste... such a waste of a young life."

Inclining his head, Naruto stared down at the man intently. He seemed different from the rest of the mages in the council, in a good way too. Smiling slightly, Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Erza asked me to bring him with me so we could bury him proper."

Nodding, the small man looked up. "Good. He deserves that atleast." He then extended a small hand up towards Naruto. "It is a shame that I didn't have a chance to introduce myself before this, but I suppose now is as good as any. I'm Yajima."

Not really expecting a greeting right then, Naruto blinked a few times before gathering himself and stretching out a hand. "Uh, nice to meet you. Naruto."

Shaking once, they let go and the newly introduced Yajima turned to look up at the broken building. Following his gaze, Naruto stared at the remains. "So what happened here?"

While the question was more directed towards the small man by his feet, Guran answered. "We believe it was a lost magic called Arc of Time. The building decayed around us right before our eyes."

Nodding, Naruto looked over the council members. "So everyone got out unhurt?"

Though the tall man nodded, Naruto frowned as he missed seeing someone. "Hang on... where's Ultear?"

Hearing a frustrated grunt below him, Naruto looked down to see Yajima shaking. "She was with Jellal. She did this."

Eyes widening, Naruto sucked in a breath. "Wait, you mean gentle Ultear did this?"

Seeing the man nod, Naruto looked around in shock for a moment. The girl seemed so placid that it was like trying to envision Hinata back home knocking down the Hokage's monument! Shaking his head, Naruto clenched his fists. "Where'd she go?"

Sighing, the small man shrugged. "We don't know. We lost sight of her in the rubble and haven't seen her since."

Stilling himself, Naruto closed his eyes and let himself become completely immersed within the natural energies surrounding him. Feeling his internal reserve refilling, Naruto pushed his senses to their limits as he tried to find the wayward mage. As he searched though, Naruto found it astounding that she had managed to hide herself so thoroughly. Pushing further, Naruto frowned in concentration until he felt her usual spark flicker at the edges of his consciousness. Instantly focusing in that direction, Naruto spotted her faint glow leaving through the woods that surrounded the area.

Snapping his orange eyes open, he jumped into the air. "Old man! Please watch over Simon, I gotta go catch up to Ultear and find out what's going on!"

"No, wait Uzumaki!"

Ignoring the call, the air around Naruto's feet exploded and sent the ninja shooting away over the trees.

Tracking the girl, Naruto frowned as he rapidly caught up. Why did she do that? Why would she even want to help someone like Jellal? Questions like these ran through his mind at a mile a minute and only urged him to catch up faster.

Dipping in, Naruto scoured the ground for anything familiar. Seeing a flash of black, Naruto skidded to a stop and dropped to the earth before the rogue girl. It seemed she had been expecting him however as she greeted him with her ever defenceless smile. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto scrutinised her. She didn't seem to be hiding anything, so questions first.

Holding a hand out, Naruto tried smiling. "So... what did you go and do that for huh?"

Raising her eyebrows, Ultear looked at him innocently. "With the council building?"

Naruto nodded. "With the council building."

Her features smoothed over and she smiled. "It was all for Master Jellal. He wanted to create peace and his dream is nearly fulfilled! I have done my part and I am now off to meet up with him."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto shook his head. "You seriously got sucked in by him? I thought you were smarter than that!"

The girl shrugged indifferently. "Whether you believe me or not is inconsequential. He believes in a world of peace and is actually doing something to bring about his dream! That is a man worth following, even to my death."

Naruto gave her a flat look. "He was mad. I saw it. You aren't and you KNOW some dead mage wouldn't fix everything."

Something seemed to change in Ultear's eyes but her external demeanour didn't move. "Ah, but that's where you are wrong. Zeref is capable of _anything_. He is the greatest mage to ever have lived. He can make the impossible possible."

Naruto sighed. "Don't say that. Even if it was possible to bring him back, why use him as a crutch? All you people keep looking into the past! Forget him and make peace with your own strength."

Smiling, Ultear shook her head. "No, there are some things that we can't achieve on our own."

Groaning, Naruto threw both hands out in front of him. "That's what friends are for! By yourself you mightn't be able to accomplish something, but with a team anything could be done!"

Chuckling gently, Ultear looked down on him as one would look down on a confused child. "That is why I have teamed up with Master Jellal. Together, we can achieve this!"

Slapping a hand to his face, Naruto shook his head. "You really believe that don't you?"

The woman nodded. Frowning, Naruto then pointed off behind him. "Would you then mind telling me why you are heading in the opposite direction to where the tower is?"

Frowning slightly, the mage studied him. "Not that it matters, but we have a separate rendezvous point." Her frown then turned to a grin and she slowly began walking towards him. "Actually... why don't you come with us? You could help us immensely in our pursuit of the perfect world!"

Naruto watched carefully as she approached, muscles tensed as she entered his personal bubble. "Your strength, your perception, you unique abilities... you could come with us, with me, and be together in a world just for us. What do you say?"

The gorgeous woman reached out both hands and dropped them gently onto Naruto's shoulders, her piercing eyes boring into his own. Standing firm, Naruto met her gaze. "You wish for a perfect world for us?" She nodded. "Even though the man you are following is clearly insane?"

Ultear raised an eyebrow. "All a matter of perspective."

Naruto shook his head. "If you saw what I did, you'd know he is well off the deep end."

A smirk graced the lady's face as she moved in closer. "Suppose he is. Would you come with me anyway? Just the two of us. No one else."

Naruto didn't budge. "But what about everyone else? How would they survive?"

The temptress shrugged. "I'm sure most would manage. What does it matter though? You would have me, and I would have _you_."

Leaning in, Naruto's eyes widened as she reached out with her tongue and actually licked his cheek, purposefully dragging the slick muscle over his whiskers. Feeling more than seeing her grin, Naruto stifled a shiver and looked down at the side of her head as she started speaking. "I am absolutely infatuated with you, Uzumaki. I cannot seem to understand you, try though as I might. So come with me because I do so wish to get to know you better. Of course... I'll let you get to know me better... _much_ better."

The red blooded male within him was screaming at him to accept, but the logical side of the teen well overruled the impulse. Grasping her shoulders, Naruto pulled Ultear back until he could look her in the eye. "If you come back with me, I'll tell you as much as I can about myself."

The woman smirked. "And if I refuse?"

Naruto's eyes hardened. "Then I drag you back to the council and stop you meeting up with your real alliance."

Freezing, Ultear narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Don't try to lie to me Ultear-chan. I know just as well as you are that you aren't meeting up with Jellal. He's probably already fallen to Natsu, and I have no doubt that you know of this. I don't think you care about this perfect world either, just this Zeref guy for some reason."

Throwing her head back, Ultear laughed as she intertwined her fingers behind Naruto's neck. Her voice seemed to take on a harsher edge to it now though, sounding much more dominant than before. "This is why I am so obsessed with you! Those fools back at the council never realised anything, yet you come along and somehow understand the situation better than they ever had."

Grinning at him in a rather unnerving manner, Ultear cocked an eyebrow. "No, Jellal was never my Master. I may have lied about that, but I never lied when I said just how much you interest me. You have the potential to be great; the greatest! You and Zeref together could achieve things that even legends claim impossible. I'll ask again, come with me!"

Shaking his head, Naruto tried to pull back. "No, come back with me! I'll help you build this future paradise you want."

Shaking her head, Ultear wrinkled her nose. "Future? No, I want something else. I want my past to be paradise."

That threw Naruto for a loop. Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked at the woman. "What is that meant to mean?"

She smirked. "Will you come with me?"

Naruto shook his head. Sighing, the woman then leaned back, only her hands around Naruto's neck supporting her from falling over. "I guess there's no point telling you then. It has been fun, but I suppose this is where we part."

Suddenly, an orb shot out from somewhere behind Naruto, cracking him solidly in the back of the head. Letting go, Ultear smirked as she watched him fall. What she didn't expect was for him to suddenly go up in a puff of smoke and have a log appear his position. A strong hand then grabbed her wrists from behind and drew them up behind her back. A knife found itself placed against her neck but instead of fear, the woman began to feel a strange, hot sensation welling up in her chest. Looking over her shoulder, her eye met the ice blue ones of her captor. "I don't want to fight you but if it comes to it, I will force you to come with me."

Licking her lips, Ultear's eyes twinkled as the heat within her chest began travelling south. "I think I rather like the sound of that!"

Snapping her arms from his grasp with a strength Naruto did not expect, Ultear spun around with an outstretched hand, the strange orb that had smacked Naruto earlier following the path of her hand through the air. Ducking, the blond then had to push himself backwards as the orb rapidly changed direction and aimed for his kidneys. Flipping back to a safe distance, Naruto eyed the orb wearily as it floated above Ultear's outstretched hand.

It didn't seem to be anything special, just a flawless crystal ball of a pale green colour. Naruto was then forced to duck again as the ball shot in. Feeling it shoot through his hair, he looked up only to catch another ball straight to the middle of his face. Slapping a hand to his nose, Naruto groaned as blood began seeping from his sensory organ, the insides of his lips also proving to be cut. Spitting out a small wad of blood, Naruto looked up in confusion only to have to start performing more acrobatics as more and more of Ultear's balls seemed to materialise out of nowhere.

Sliding to the ground, Naruto held his hands out as a pair of tornado's sprung to life around his arms. Lashing out, he diced up the nearest balls before focusing on the remainder that assailed him. Keen eyes tracked the balls and smooth movements precisely destroyed them as Naruto weaved his way through the objects.

Lashing out with one last crunch, Naruto watched as the crystal dropped to the ground in fragments. Releasing the tightly swirling air from his arms, Naruto wiped up his nose before gazing upon Ultear. "If that is all you have you might as well just come with me now."

The smirk on the woman's face told Naruto otherwise as she raised an amused eyebrow. "I may be young, but I was not in the council just to break up the sea of wrinkles. Don't underestimate me."

It was then Naruto's noticed all the balls he previously crushed rising from the ground, the tiny fragments piecing themselves back together as they reformed. Staring at them in concealed surprise, Naruto resisted the urge to protect his nose. "This sucks."

Sweeping her hand out, Ultear laughed as they surrounded Naruto, completely trapping him in. "For you it would. Try this, **Flash Forward**!"

The balls all suddenly rushed at him, all drawn toward the blond the way metal would to a powerful magnet. Having no real option at the moment, Naruto braced himself and crossed his arms over his face as the balls hammered in on him, each smashing into his form with considerable power.

Grunting as each hit, Naruto weathered the storm as best he could. It seemed to take a while but eventually the blows drew to a stop and Naruto lowered his arms. Peeking out at Ultear, he saw her grinning at him. "My, you are incredibly durable!"

Letting out a slow breath, Naruto pulled himself up straight and ignored the stinging bruises that were springing to life over his body. "Just a little trick I worked out."

Narrowing her eyes curiously, Ultear pointed at the blond. "Would it have to do something with your eyes having changed? They are incredibly captivating!"

Naruto shrugged. "It helps.

Eyes shining, Ultear raised her hand again. "Wonderful! I can't wait to see what else you can do!"

Diving forward just before she dropped her arm, Naruto managed to avoid the majority of the balls streaking in again. The few that did near him were batted away until Naruto managed to catch one. Gripping it firmly, he zeroed in on the woman and with a cry, launched the projectile at her.

Barely having the time to widen her eyes, Ultear collected the ball straight to her unprotected stomach, knocking her clean off her feet and sending her flying back to hit a large tree behind her. Coughing involuntarily, a few flecks of blood accompanied the burst of air as it left her.

Slumping slightly, her gingerly wrapped an arm around her middle as she heard Naruto making his way over. Taking a few steps off to the left, she looked up at him with a pained smile. "Not bad."

Naruto didn't acknowledge the compliment, instead holding his hand out. "Come back with me."

Her smile widened and the woman pushed herself up. "It'll take more than that to convince me."

Frowning, Naruto reached out to grab her but had to jump back as a tree suddenly exploded from the earth right underneath the woman. Blinking up at her in surprise, Naruto could hardly believe that she was now sitting in the bough of a tree some fifty feet up. Taking another step backwards, he heard her lilting laughter float down to him. "Oh, don't be so surprised! There was a sapling under me, so I just brought it to its future!"

Blinking in confusion, Naruto stared up at her owlishly. "All I got out of that was you just grew a tree somehow."

Rolling her eyes, Ultear sighed dramatically. "Really? That's a shame, I thought you could have comprehended it."

Shaking his head, Naruto began to rise off the ground. "All I understand is you coming back with me."

Ultear grinned again as she watched him rise, though this time her smile held a bit more malice. "You are a persistent little boy aren't you? Come on then, make me want to go back."

Glaring up at her, Naruto clenched his fists. "Gladly."

The air around the blonds' feet seemed to warp before he shot up at the woman. Rearing back a fist, Naruto watched as yet another round of orbs came rocketing in towards him. Headless of them, Naruto lashed out at Ultear. Laughing as he missed by a fair distance, Ultear failed to notice a number of balls exploding around his hand as it tracked through the air before she was suddenly flung from the tree with a mighty 'THWACK'.

Flying backwards, she barely had time to regain her bearings before Naruto was upon her. Lashing out, the girl proved to have considerable reflexes as she managed to palm a fist wide. Unfortunately for her, the invisible attack hit her again, sending her shooting towards the ground, her mouth open wide in shock and pain.

Landing heavily, she pulled in a breath to reinflate her lungs before rolling out of the way of a drop knee. Kicking out with her legs, Ultear felt her heels connect solidly with her attacker. While not sending him flying as desired, Naruto was still sent skidding back across the ground, giving Ultear enough time to recover herself.

Flipping back up to her feet, she spun around with her arm outstretched to increase its velocity before flinging an orb directly at Naruto. The blond jumped in an attempt to dodge but the ball suddenly shimmered in the air before separating into hundreds of identical orbs, all intending to smack into Naruto.

'Two can play that game.'

Dropping **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)**, Naruto crossed his fingers and cried out. With an area encompassing explosion of smoke, he was suddenly lost in over a hundred identical replicas of himself. The group let out a deafening shout as they all dived in at Ultear.

The mage herself had her eyes wide in shock and was rapidly throwing as many balls into the fray as possible. Clones exploded everywhere as the balls ripped through their numbers, but not quickly enough. Seeing the wall of orange approach, Ultear slapped a fist into her palm before pushing it to the earth. "**Ice Make: Wall**!"

The ground before the mage gave way as an enormous slab of ice rose into the sky, successfully protecting her from the onslaught of clones. She watched through the translucent window as clone after clone dashed itself against the thick wall. Despite being so solid, the object still rattling under the forces it was being subjected to.

Breathing deeply, her wide eyes looked on in shock as the first dredges of fear began entering her mind. No wonder he defeated Jose, this kind of relentless attack was incredible. Her internal musings were cut short however as the ground beneath her feet began rumbling. Diving backwards into a crouch, she narrowly avoided Naruto as he exploded from the earth directly beneath her. Flinging out one of her endless orbs, she smirked when he let out a cry as the ball hit. Her eyes widened however when he suddenly exploded. Feeling the ground beneath her rumble again, she tried to dive clear but the orange sleeved arms that shot up from the earth proved too fast.

Grasping her arms solidly, they dragged her back down, a number of more hands sprouting from the earth around her, all latching onto her body and anchoring her to the ground. Groaning as she was pulled flat against the ground, the mage looked down past her feet as her opponent walked towards her. He had an unimpressed look on his face, clearly not enjoying hold her down like that. Stopping a few feet away from her, he crossed his arms and sighed. "Are you finished yet?"

While her breathing was slightly laboured, she still didn't look too bad from all the blows. Managing a smile, she quirked her top lip. "Well, this is exactly the kind of strength I was hoping you would have. I'm extremely impressed."

Frowning, Naruto cast a quick glance at the ice wall behind him. "I'm more surprised you have two such different magic's."

The girl laughed despite her position. "Really? After what you just demonstrated? Please, you are by _far _more fascinating than me."

Really beginning to wonder if he had a potential stalker on his hands, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So, you gonna come with me yet or..."

Leaving the sentence hanging, Naruto looked down at the woman. She merely chuckled and wriggled her eyebrows. "Or what? You have me tied up pretty good here. There wouldn't be a lot stopping you taking me for your own right now would there?"

With every word she spoke, the Ultear Naruto thought he knew faded further and further from view. Frowning, Naruto looked down at her despairingly. "You should know that I'm not like that. Come on, let's take you back."

Despite being held captive, the woman smirked. "You still think that's enough to beat me?"

Her eyes flashed in a display of power as what looked like jagged ice dug into the earth from her back, the clones under her letting out muffled cries as they were impaled before they exploded. Now free, the woman rolled backwards into a kneeling position, her hands held out from her sides. Her grin was positively dark now, her dilated pupils focused intently on the blond teen before her. "If you want me to come back peacefully means you will have to kill me!"

Seeing the orbs rallying around her, Naruto frowned as he tried to count them. They were separating into more and more by the second, the air filling with the crystal balls. Their number didn't stop growing however and Naruto began to realise he could be in some trouble. Tree's surrounding the pair started letting out cracks as balls began to run into them, chips of bark falling to the ground from the injuries. Crossing his fingers, Naruto forced his chakra through the seal and was once again surrounded by a hundred or so copies of himself.

The group kneeled and then charged the woman before she could create any more of those things. As they ran, the arms of all the blonds disappeared under a shroud of tightly wrapped air as Ultear grinned and flung her arm towards the group. Raising his weapons, Naruto's arms became nothing but blurs as they began countering the attack.

A staccato of cracks and pops filled the air as hundreds of the balls were pounded to dust. Several slipped through the onslaught though and were enough to deal a deadly blow to the clone they came in contact with. Despite this, the group was still steadily moving towards the ex council mage at a steady pace.

Ultear's face was a picture of focus, yet her eyes were twinkling in excitement. While one hand remained held out, the other began manipulating time and the destroyed balls behind Naruto began to reform. Smirking as a large number of balls began rising behind the oblivious group, the mage crooked a 'come hither' finger and the orbs charged straight in towards the group.

The blonds didn't stand a chance.

Surprised by the sneak attack from behind, their focus was lost and within moments they were completely overrun. Laughing loudly, Ultear held a hand over her mouth as cries of agony filled the air, the voices accompanied by an almost deafeningly loud number of pops as the group was destroyed. Smoke filled the air and Ultear unleashed another mocking laugh as the voices began to fade.

As the cloud began to disperse, Ultear stood up with a smug smile of victory on her face and began walking towards the hazy form of her opponent. Waving away a few stray whisps, she eventually came upon the bloodied form of Naruto lying face down in the dirt. Smirking, she stood by his side and toed him over onto his back. He let out a loud cough and a plume of blood shot from his mouth. Opening one pained eye, he looked up at the woman as she stared down at him, her unrelenting orbs all floating around her tauntingly.

Allowing another chuckle to leave her lips, Ultear crossed her arms under her ample bosom. "Well, I must admit, you impressed me. There aren't too many people who can last that long against my Arc of Time."

Coughing again, Naruto welled up some more red in his mouth before spitting it off to the side. Taking a laboured breath, he looked up at her. "It was... a spam attack."

Laughing in his reference to the frequency she used her orbs, she held a hand over her face and looked down at him condescendingly. "You say that, yet you nearly matched me orb for orb with those imitations of you. Like you can talk."

Naruto chuckled painfully. "Yeah... I guess so."

Taking that as the end of their conversation, Ultear flicked her hair with her hand. "Well, it was fun my intriguing blond. I'd take you with me but I know you'd just fight me the whole way and that is effort I just couldn't be bothered to muster. Be thankful that I find you interesting enough to leave you alive. Ta-ta for now, hero."

Turning, she began sashaying away. The second she presented her back though, a wide grin spread across Naruto's face. Looking up, Naruto's grin widened further and he mouthed, "Now!"

The next few moments for Ultear suddenly decomposed into chaotic mayhem as all hell broke loose. One moment she was walking away from her victory, the next she was suddenly knocked to her knees by one of her beloved orbs. Staring up at it in shock, the mage only had time to say, "What?" before she was set upon by hundreds more of her precious crystals.

Blow after blow rained down on her body and she let out an involuntary scream of pain as her form was subjected to the ruthless beating. Trying to clench her muscles, Ultear weathered the thrashing as best she could, desperately trying to think up a reason as to why her own crystals were attacking her. Eventually the pounding stopped and Ultear let out a relieved gasp as she flopped to her side. Her body spasmed in pain as she saw Naruto walk up to her. He was still totally destroyed from her previous attack but for some reason seemed completely unaware of his injuries.

Her eyebrows furrowed deeply as Naruto looked down at her pityingly and she managed to bite out a pained, "How?"

The blond seemed to relax a moment and Ultear's eyes widened in shock as his bloodied form simply disappeared. Blinking, the mage started up at the now otherwise unharmed teen. He had a couple of large bruises on his arms and face but they seemed to be fading rapidly. Despite herself, Ultear then began chuckling painfully, the fits of laughter beginning to rock her body. Not quite sure what to make of it, Naruto frowned at the unusual behaviour.

Taking a deep breath, Ultear managed to collect herself enough to look up at Naruto. "A transformation? A simple transformation? Genius!"

Her voice then broke and she was overcome with a great coughing fit. While wanting to see if she was alright, Naruto knew if he offered her any sympathy now, she'd only use it against him. Still, he couldn't help but ask. "Can you breathe?"

The coughing continued a moment more and the woman delicately spat out a mouthful of blood. "As fine as I could be after taking a beating from my own orbs. How did you though..."

Not really seeing any need to hide it any longer, Naruto crossed his fingers and the orbs all around them exploded into smoke, briefly returning to their original, orange clothed form before dispersing into a cloud.

Staring up at the now empty air, Ultear shook her head. "Unbelievable."

Struggling to push herself up, Ultear managed to get her feet under herself and draw herself up. Shakily standing on badly corked legs, Ultear winced. "You... are one magnificent specimen of a man Uzumaki."

Taking a step towards him, her legs gave way under her and she felt herself begin to fall towards the ground. Clenching her eyes, she expected the solid contact of ground but instead found a set of strong arms wrapped around her. Opening her eyes in surprise, she looked up at the teen as he frowned at her. "Stop pushing yourself. You've done enough."

For some reason, Ultear didn't try to struggle and instead looked up into his worried eyes. Something within the girl seemed to clench and she found looking up into his face almost painful. Turning her gaze away, she nodded. "Alright, I concede. I'll come back with you."

Grinning widely, Naruto helped her stand up straight. "That's the way! I knew you'd come around."

Suddenly, Ultear squinted her eyes as a burst of light shocked her eyes. Dipping her head, Naruto chuckled and looked over his shoulder. "Ha, what a good time for the sun ri–"

His voice was cut off as Ultear's hand pressed against his chest and completely froze him solid. Pulling her hand away, Ultear frowned slightly. "You should never take your eyes off your opponent Uzumaki. I thought you would have known that."

Taking a step back, she winced and clasped a hand to her side. Looking up at the now ice man, the woman's face smoothed slightly and a smile tugged her lips. "Still though... I do hope that in my next chance around in life, we get to meet under different circumstances. Until then, Naruto."

Turning, the mage began limping away from the steaming block. Trying her best to ignore the guilt building up in her chest, the mage placed a hand over her heart and took a breath. "It's ok... next time it will all be ok. I know it will."

Stumbling along, she slouched against a tree for a moment. Breathing deeply, her ears pricked as she heard a thump from behind her. Pausing, she turned to look at the iced blond. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she waited and was soon rewarded with the massive block jumping again. Turning to face it fully, shock began spreading across her face as splinters of ice began breaking off from the main body; enormous cracks beginning to shoot across its perfectly smooth surface.

Loud creaks and groans began sounding out from the solid object as Naruto apparently fought from within his imprisonment. In one final heave, the block screeched as Naruto exploded from within, the massive halves floating in the air for a moment before Naruto thrust his hands outwards, twin jets of extremely powerful air blowing them far into the distance.

He then vanished from Ultear's sight to reappear a fraction of a second later right in front of her face, a tightly spinning ball of softly glowing blue energy packed into his hand. Angry orange eyes met with black ones for a split second before Naruto lashed out. "**Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)**!"

Crying out in intense pain, Ultear felt the vast strength of the attack rip through her clothes and into her stomach. Clenching her abs made little difference as she felt the ball bore into her. Within moments, the thing exploded and sent her spinning away to crunch into a solid tree, her body having enough inertia to embed itself deeply into the bark.

Eyes dropping as her beaten body began to shut down, the mages last thought before her mind slipped into unconsciousness was, "Uzumaki... you survived..."

Breathing deeply, Naruto walked over to the girl. That had been a _very_ close call. He hadn't managed to get a full breath before he was frozen so another twenty seconds or so and he'd have been a goner.

Realising the fight was now officially over, the blond dropped **Senjutsu. **In doing so, a wave of exhaustion washed over him and rivulets of sweat suddenly rushed down his face. Staggering slightly, Naruto placed a hand to a small tree to regain his balance while his other hand came to his forehead. Chuckling tiredly, Naruto closed his eyes for a moment. Flying from one side of the country to the other repeatedly seemed to drain a massive amount of energy.

Taking a breath, Naruto pushed off and walked up to the tree that held Ultear. Smiling slightly, Naruto preferred that this be how he remembered her. Her face smooth and calm (minus the scratches, swellings and little flicks of blood and bruising), not twisted into an ugly grin. Gripping an arm, the blond gently pulled her from the tree and placed her over his shoulder.

The girl never knew what she was in for because Naruto wasn't about to let another friend go AWOL. No matter how warped her beliefs, she was Naruto's friend and that was that. It was up to him to try and fix her slightly skewed view, that's all.

Turning to start the trek back to the council, Naruto looked up to the early morning sun. Smiling wearily, Naruto let the morning rays bathe him in the beautiful red and gold's as the light began creeping across the landscape.

XxXxXxX

Several cautious sets of eyes watched as Naruto staggered back up towards the council members, his face dirty and weary but yet wearing a happy grin. Dropping to his knees, Naruto pulled Ultear from his shoulder as gently as possible before laying her out on the ground. Grinning up at the council members, Naruto coughed and grinned again as his eyelids began dropping. "Wow... that is _a lot_ further to walk than I expected."

Yajima walked forward as Naruto coughed again, his eyebrows bunched in concern. "Uzumaki, will you be ok?"

Laughing wearily, Naruto found himself falling face first into the ground amidst a startled cry from the mages around him. "Yeah... I'll be fine after a sleep."

Smiling up at the small man, Naruto managed to muster up enough strength to point at the girl by his side. "Take care of her... she's my friend..."

His hand then dropped to the ground as his eyelids slid shut in blissful respite.

XxXxXxX

An annoying beep began breaking through Naruto's pleasant, dreamless sleep, the sound harshly bringing him back to consciousness. Groaning in annoyance, Naruto reached out in an effort to stop the horrible noise. The limb flailed around a moment before coming in solid contact with something. There was a loud crash as whatever it was hit the ground, but thankfully the beeping stopped.

Sighing pleasantly, Naruto began to pull his eyelids up slowly, the blurry room making itself known. Blinking away the moisture that smeared his vision, Naruto looked around. He was in a small, single bed room with nothing but white walls. There was a table pushed to one corner with a window above it; a door looking across at it from the opposite wall. A few of Naruto's items lay on the table, a couple of kunai, wire rope, his scroll and underneath those, his clothes.

Taking a breath in through his nose, Naruto's eyes watered as he picked up the overpowering sent of antiseptic. Rubbing away the tears, Naruto looked over the bed edge and saw an expensive looking piece of equipment lying face down on the floor. Blinking, Naruto just rolled back over to look at the ceiling. That was already like that when he woke up, no matter what anyone said.

Taking another breath, Naruto raised his arms and gave them a bit of a shake to see how they felt. Other than a bit stiff, they seemed fine. Crossing them behind his head, Naruto let out a sigh and began the wait for someone to come in. Normally he'd have been up and out the window before anyone could touch him but today he was feeling pretty lazy. He'd just spent an entire night flying all over the country and then faced off a super tough opponent. He damn well deserved a bit of a rest.

Closing his eyes, Naruto sighed contentedly before his stomach let out a gurgle. Looking down, the blond groaned as the familiar pain of hunger clenched his stomach. Sitting up, Naruto looked around and saw a green button behind him. It had a little nurse picture drawn on it, so reaching out, Naruto gave it a poke.

Not a second later, the door opened and a pretty little nurse walked in, clipboard in hand. Looking back at the button, Naruto grinned. "Wow, now that's what I call service!"

"Oh, I was just coming in to check you vitals... what happened here?" Turning back, Naruto saw the nurse standing over the collapsed machine worriedly. Pursing his lips, the blond looked at it dumbly. "I dunno, I woke up and it was lying there."

Fretting slightly, the woman flitted around the equipment as she tried her best to pick it up. Smirking, Naruto pulled the sheets off and stood up. "Here, let me get that."

Hearing her squeak, Naruto chuckled and pulled it upright. A piece fell off it, but overall it seemed ok. It was lucky it didn't recieve the same damage Naruto's alarm clock usually did. Looking up at the nurse, Naruto then frowned as he saw her holding the clipboard over her face. "Uh... what's wrong?"

She simply pointed down, never uncovering her face. "You may want to get back into bed. We had the doctors make sure you were completely unharmed after we were informed of the number of injuries you sustained."

Glancing down, it was then Naruto realised he was clothed in the usual hospital gown, but the back wasn't tied and as such had fallen open. Chuckling, the blond jumping back into bed and pulled the covers up. He wasn't too worried about it but the nurse seemed a bit flustered. Atleast it hadn't been a guy looking at him. "Alright, I'm back in bed."

Lowering the clipboard slightly, the nurse confirmed the statement before dropping it completely. A light flush adorned her cheeks as she walked over and checked Naruto's vitals, his cheeky grin not helping things in the least. Once that was done, the blond rested back on his arms again and looked up as the nurse filled in her papers. "So when's breakfast? I am so hungry."

She didn't stop writing as she answered. "Soon, very soon. You'll probably have a visitor join you too if that's alright?"

Nodding, Naruto grinned happily. "I don't care who it is, just so long as I got food."

Smiling slightly at his cheery outlook, the nurse nodded her head. "Well, you seem perfectly ok... somehow... so I'd imagine you'll be released today once the doctors check you over."

Grinning wider, Naruto looked out the small window to his left. He could see the blue sky with a couple of leaves from an unidentified tree dancing in the gentle breeze outside. "Yeah... I wanna go lay in the sun. Seems like a nice day."

Just then, the door was pushed open and a trolley bearing food was wheeled into the room. Spinning to face it eagerly, Naruto ran his tongue around his mouth and clapped his hands twice as he readied himself for the meal. Laughing pleasantly at his actions, the nurse bowed. "Well, I'll leave you be now. Take care now."

Nodding absently, Naruto's trained eyes didn't leave the plate nearing him. Grinning as it finally reached his lap, he grabbed it thankfully, casting the attendant a happy smile. He then proceeded to practically tip the plate on its side and swallow whatever it held in one massive gulp. Passing it back to the stunned man, Naruto grinned and looked over at the cart greedily. "More please!"

"I think you can wait a moment my boy."

"Eh?"

Looking down, Naruto saw the three blades walking along beside his bed. They then jumped and revealed themselves to actually be Yajima's hat as the little man landed on Naruto's bed. "Oh, old man! How ya going?"

Smiling, the mage crossed his hands behind his back. "Not too bad I suppose. A little sad the council building is gone, but unhurt otherwise."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, that sucks I suppose, but atleast another one can be built."

Nodding, Yajima remained silent and simply took to staring at the blond. Not usually used to such scrutiny, Naruto's face twitched and he tried to start up another conversation. "So, uh, how's Ultear doing?"

The mage looked up in recollection. "She's doing ok I believe. I'm surprised she's as well as she is after whatever it was you did to her. You really put her through the ringer. I'd imagine she will be asleep for another few days to come."

Chuckling, Naruto scratched her head. "Yeah, my bad. She sure packed some power herself though."

Yajima nodded. "Indeed. She wasn't on the council for nothing."

Naruto smiled gently before it slowly turned into a frown. Looking down at his hands for a moment, he then looked up at the man. "So what will happen to her?"

Sighing unhappily, Yajima shook his head. "I'd imagine she will be tried for treason and then sentenced to prison for a long while."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Naruto crossed his arms. "But... what if she was only doing it because she was ordered to? Or hypnotised? Or... or mislead, like everyone else in the council?"

The man shrugged. "I do not know. That is up to the judge to decide."

Nodding sadly, Naruto realised that was probably the best she could get. Still, he managed a grin. "Well, I'll make sure to visit her atleast once a week to help keep her spirits up! She'll be able to make it through that, she's a strong girl."

Chuckling, the old man nodded. "I like your outlook Uzumaki, very positive. Yes, I'm sure she'll do fine."

Grinning, Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, you can't keep looking at the negatives ya know?"

He then lowered his arm and he let out a sigh as his features became more sombre. "So, what happened with Simon?"

Thinking for a moment, the old man's eyes lit up as he remembered. "Oh yes, Simon. Poor fellow. He was sent back to Fairy Tail via convoy to be given to Erza Scarlett. She will bury him as she deems necessary I'd imagine."

Nodding, Naruto then looked up in confusion. "Hang on, how long have I been asleep?"

Smiling, the man looked out the window. "A lot shorter than many of us predicted. It has only been one day."

Raising his eyebrows, Naruto repeated him. "A whole day? That's like, ages!"

Chuckling, the man turned back to Naruto. "Ah, to have the energy of youth again. Yes, a day."

Pulling himself straighter, Naruto frowned. "I wanna get back to Fairy Tail so I can be there with Erza."

Yajima studied Naruto's face for a moment before smiling softly. "You are a good friend Naruto. The convoy was sent yesterday afternoon so if you hurry, you could probably make it back in time to catch her."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I was already planning that. I just need to get dressed and I'll head out."

Yajima raised an eyebrow. "And the doctors?"

Naruto laughed. "I'm fine. This just frees up a bed for someone who actually needs it."

Laughing alongside the blond, Yajima nodded. "You remind me of Makarov when he was younger."

Pausing, Naruto looked at the mage. "The old man? Really?"

Yajima nodded. "Yes, I was close friends with him when we were younger. Anyway, enough talking. I'll take my leave now that I know you are ok."

Grinning, Naruto gave him thumbs up. "Thanks for that old man. I'll come see you later too!"

Nodding, the man dropped down from the bed and walked out the door. Waiting until it was closed, Naruto jumped up and quickly discarded his garment and redressed in his favourite jacket and pants set. They had been washed to his delight and whatever cleaning agent they used seemed to bring out the orange's inner glory. Turning to face the window, Naruto heard the door open one more time. "Oh and Naruto, here is your payment."

Turning back to face Yajima, Naruto saw him holding out a small slip of paper. Taking it, Naruto studied the amount before shaking his head. "No, this isn't right, the amount's wrong. Get it back to me later."

Smiling, the mage shook his head. "No, that's right. Jellal and Ultear had an account with us as we all do, and seeming they deserted us, the money became collateral. After everything you did for us, I believe that should cover you for your efforts."

Looking back down at the cheque for Five Million Jewels, Naruto shrugged and tucked it away safely. "Well, thank you heaps for that! I definitely owe you a meal."

Yajima nodded. "Please put twelve slices of roast pork in my ramen then."

Naruto sucked in a deep breath as he openly gaped down at the man in new found wonder. "You... you like ramen?"

Yajima nodded once. Eyes glistening in abundant joy, Naruto ran a forearm across his eyes as he struggled to contain his happiness. "I think we are gonna get on perfectly, dattebayo!"

Nodding again, the small man turned and looked out the door. "You best leave now. The doctor's are on their way."

Allowing one manly tear of camaraderie to slide down his cheek, Naruto nodded before pushing the window open and slipping out.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – and that's the end (more or less) of the Tower arc. There's more to be tied up back at the guild once Naruto makes it back, but that's pretty much it._

_On another note, Mashima is a freakin boss. How far ahead can a dude plan a story? I bow to a far greater talent than my own._

_Anyway, you can now thank __Tellemicus Sundance for this omake as it was his idea._

**Omake**

Creeping along the hallways of the Everlue mansion, Natsu, Happy and Lucy were currently searching as quietly as they could for a book their client had commissioned to be destroyed. Lucy had her back pressed as closely to the wall as she could manage, her light footsteps barely making a noise. Casting a glance around the room, Lucy turned back to see Natsu leaning over the barrier of the second floor railing as if searching for something. Sucking in a breath, the girl grabbed the boy and pulled him back against the wall. Glaring at him furiously, she started whispering as harshly as she could. "Just what the HELL are you doing?"

A finger absently disappeared into the mages nose as he looked away in boredom. "This suck. We have like a billion rooms to check. It'd just be faster to find someone and make them tell us where it is."

Happy looked up at the girl, still wearing a skull mask that he had found in one of the previous rooms. Lucy heart was still pumping in overdrive from when he jumped out at her. "Yeah Lucy, why are you so boring? Natsu's way is so much faster and smarter than yours."

Grinding her teeth together, the blond girl struggled to compose herself. "You keep talking like that cat and you'll find your whiskers cut off in your sleep." Taking a breath, she continued. "No, we must remained undetected. We don't want Everlue to call the authorities on us. We gotta be like ninjas! Cool, huh?"

Instantly Natsu zoned out as extravagant images of him performing incredible ninja abilities flowed through his mind. Sweat dropping as she watched the mage fade away, Lucy sighed. "Atleast he's quiet I guess..."

"What you guys playing?"

Letting out a piercing shriek, Lucy slumped against the wall, her hand over her pounding heart as Natsu looked up. His eyes widened massively as he saw Naruto sitting sideways on the wall, the teen looking down at them curiously. "WAH, HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?"

Happy suddenly slapped into Natsu's face in an effort to muffle the rowdy boy. Turning to look up at Naruto, Happy grinned through his mask. "We're playing ninjas! We gotta find some musty old book, so we decided it'd be more fun to sneak around."

Naruto's face lit up in delight and he dropped to the floor, barely missing Lucy's comatose form by inches. "No way! I'm a ninja! That was my job back home!"

Ripping Happy from his face, Natsu stared at the boy in wonder. "Seriously? That is so cool!"

Rubbing a finger under his nose, Naruto grinned. "I know right? Did you wanna learn how a _real_ ninja does things?"

Nodding excitedly, Natsu and Happy fell into line, eager to hear anything Naruto had to say. Adopting a teacher's pose, Naruto raised a finger. "Ninja business is all about being as quiet as you can while taking out the target as swiftly and cleanly as possible. To do this, you must disguise yourself as your surroundings. Blend in with what you see. Watch."

Raising his fingers, Naruto held the Ram seal and suddenly popped into an identical replica of a pot plant they just passed. Yahooing loudly, Happy and Natsu looked Naruto's new form all over in awe. "That is so cool! Man, I never even thought of that! You're the best! Way better than Lucy. I bet she doesn't even know what a ninja is meant to look like."

Coming back from her world of fright, Lucy jumped up to defend herself. "I do so know what a ninja's meant to look like!"

She suddenly disappeared into a room, reappearing a second later in a tight, black, super revealing latex suit. Posing proudly, Lucy winked at them. "A ninja must be unseen, therefore the best colour to choose would be black! ... why is the pot plant bleeding?"

"Huh?"

Turning to look at the plant, the two males did indeed see the pot plant bleeding from the terracotta. It suddenly went up in a puff of smoke to reveal Naruto sitting cross-legged, a dopy smile on his face as he gazed at Lucy. "You sure make that ninja suit look good Lucy. It really moulds to your shape."

Winking provocatively, Lucy nodded and smirked. "I know right? I bet YOU couldn't pull off something like this, Mr. Ninja!"

Shaking his head, Naruto stood up and stared Lucy down challengingly. The small trickle of blood running down his upper lip kinda detracted from the overall look however. "Would that be a challenge?"

The girl didn't get a chance to answer as the ground beneath them rumbled. Turning to look over their shoulders, the males had to dive forward as the floor suddenly exploded beneath them to reveal possibly the four ugliest... females (if you could call them that) Naruto had ever seen. If anything, the blond would have expected to see something like that in a zoo.

Each had a long metal pole in hand and were gazing down at the group menacingly. "Intruders detected!"

Flying in for the attack, Naruto freaked out and lashed out at them. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"

A resounding smack filled the room as the maids were sent flying off the balcony and down to the lower floors. Panting heavily, Naruto looked over as another boom echoed out and his eyes widened as an absolute bear of a woman burst forth from the ground. "EXTERMINATE!"

Diving forward in a perfect arc, the woman held her arms out before body slamming the nearest person flat into the ground. Thankfully for Naruto, it had been Natsu. Unfortunately for Natsu, it hadn't been Naruto.

Gasping as she heard the muffled cried from under the behemoth of a maid, Lucy cupped her hands over her mouth as she watched her friend literally get the life squashed out of him. "Natsu!"

Her worry was unfounded however as an effort filled cry sounded out from under the woman as Natsu actually pushed the maid off him. "Why are you so FAT?"

Throwing her high into the air, flames exploded from Natsu's feet and he jumped after her before proceeding to kick the woman clear across the wide room. Landing lightly, he wrapped his ever present scarf around his face protectively and then held his hands up the way he saw Naruto do. "We can't afford to be detected, nin-nin!"

Hearing a clap, the mage turned to see Naruto beaming at him. "That was awesome!"

While the mage basked in the glory, Lucy looked off to the side in confusion. "I thought being a ninja was about stealth..."

Ignoring her, Happy flew past the group, his little paws held up in an attempt at the Ram seal. "Onward mighty ninja, to the next room, nin-nin!"

"AYE!"

With twin calls, Natsu and Naruto charged after the cat, leaving Lucy to wonder just when everyone switched places. Eventually realising she was being left behind, she cried out indignantly and chased after them.

XxXxXxX

Entering a large room, the group now found themselves looking up at an absolutely enormous book case. Easily stretching thirty feet to the roof, the enormous thing looked to contain well over five thousand books.

Groaning, Lucy looked it over. "Man, that is huge! Still, I guess it's the best chance of finding this book." Slapping a fist to her bicep, she cheered happily. "Alright guys, let's get searching!"

"Nin-nin!"

Running to the book shelf, the girl ignored Happy and Natsu crawling across the ground on their bellies. Spying a ladder, the blond scaled it quickly and began scanning the titles.

"So what we looking for?"

Screaming in surprise, Lucy's arms flailed around for a moment before managing to catch a hold of the ladder again. Glaring at Naruto as he stuck to the book case like a spider, the girl let out an annoyed breath. "We're searching for a book called Daybreak. Make yourself useful and start looking."

Nodding, Naruto began climbing across the shelves, books falling out from the shelves all around him. Growling, Lucy pointed an agitated finger at her fellow blond. "Carefully damnit!"

"Woo! A dirty novel!"

Turning to look down at the floor, Lucy saw that Natsu was holding up a book happily.

"Lemme see!"

Hearing a thump and the rustling of a number of pages, the girl turned to see Naruto drop to the floor amongst a rain of books and rush over to study the novel Natsu had found. After a moment, the self proclaimed ninja snorted in disgust. "Bah, that's crap. It doesn't even have illustrations."

Sighing, Lucy ignored the group and continued to look. Trailing her finger over the spines, Lucy frowned when she saw a tacky orange cover that seemed to stand out to her. Checking it out, her mouth pulled into a wide smile as she removed the book triumphantly. "I found it!"

XxXxXxX

_A/N – and that can stop there for the moment. I'll finish it next chapter. _

_Again, the omake has absolutely NO impact on the main story whatsoever. _

_Until next time._

_Lanky Nathan_


	24. Chapter 24

While the desire to get back was high, Naruto still took the trip home more leisurely than he otherwise would. He was still feeling a bit stiff in himself so a casual jog was just what the doctor ordered. Granted, that casual jog was beyond a standard humans sprint, but still.

The time it gave Naruto was enough that his mind had a bit of time to wander through things. The first question in his mind related directly to Ultear and whatever was going to happen to her. What old man Yajima said might have just been speculation, but the idea of Ultear cooped up in some tiny little cell wasn't what Naruto wanted for her. He wondered if he might be able to put his Wizard Saint title to some use and maybe help her out. It wasn't too pressing however seeming she probably hadn't even woken up yet.

Next on Naruto's mind was Erza. The blond had a sneaking suspicion that she was directly involved with everyone there as well as the events that led up to it. If the brief glimpse she gave him into her past was anything to go by, Simon as well as that cat girl Millianna must have been atleast mildly close friends with her. Jellal though... Naruto hazard a guess that Jellal meant more to her than she let on. That pained anguish in her eyes when she asked the ninja to kill him spoke all the words she didn't. Perhaps after all this was over, she might tell him a little more. It wasn't his place to ask, but at the same time he was really curious.

As his thoughts drifted, Naruto then began to think over that scroll Tsunade-baachan had sent him. It really was fantastic to hear from them, it was just super annoying he couldn't reply. The fact that they had already tried to reverse summon him stuck in his mind though. Usually he could feel the pull before he was actually transported to wherever they wanted him. This time though... nothing. That could only mean that the apparent distance that they were trying to summon him over was absolutely huge. It was no wonder that the biggest thing the blond had been able to call on was a baby toad. Actually...

Naruto nodded as a bit of a plan began to form in his mind. Even if the best he could summon right now was a baby toad, maybe that would still be enough to get a message back. It couldn't be too big, just enough to say he was alright.

Grinning, Naruto did a little jump and clicked his heels together. It was a good plan, simple and (hopefully) effective. He might even be able to get a few more tools sent over. Now that would be cool.

Having trusted his feet it carry him where he needed, Naruto took note of his surroundings and realised he was now close to Magnolia. Maybe another ten minutes at this pace and he'd be at the guild's doorstep.

Ten minutes did seem like a long time though.

Grinning, Naruto couldn't help but jump into the air and cut down some serious time on his travel. The excitement of seeing how Erza and Natsu did was a bit too much for the blond to handle at the moment. Letting his hands reach out to the side, Naruto weaved a path towards the guild, chuckling as he heard the shocked voices from below. Shaking his head, Naruto couldn't work out why more ninja hadn't tried mastering the art of flight. It was so awesome!

Dipping in low, Naruto pulled himself up to a stop just before the entrance and grinned. A curly head of brown hair had caught Naruto's eye. Cana was sitting off by herself drinking her usual barrel of rum or whatever it was. Sliding in through the door, Naruto stuck to the walls and crept around behind her. Reaching out with his fingers, he stifled a chuckle before running them up and down her exposed sides rapidly.

"Coochi coochi coo!"

Booze instantly exploded from Cana's nose and mouth, her half drowned shriek drawing most of the guilds attention as the woman desperately tried to escape the merciless torture while at the same time clear her airways of fluid. After a few seconds, Naruto let go and jumped back and held his sides as he let his laughter burst forth.

The confused and more than slightly pissed off brunette turned her watering eyes around to spy the trouble maker clutching his sides as he laughed at her misfortune. Growling, Cana did her best to wipe her eyes down before clenching her fists. "Oh you are going to pay for that!"

Reaching into her satchel, the woman drew out several cards before launching them at the blond. "**Sexy Lady Card**!"

The projectiles sped across the distance and exploded into a cloud of smoke when they were within several feet of Naruto.

Suddenly, Naruto's laughter was cut off as a body latched onto his own with a set of warm water balloons pushing into his face for some reason. Backing up, the teen felt another body latch onto his right side, followed by another on his left. Not quite knowing what was going on, Naruto felt more and more weight pile up on him until he collapsed under it. Now that everything had shifted, Naruto could finally see what Cana had set upon him. A beautiful female face along with several other female parts stared at him momentarily before Naruto realised just what happened. Finding his hands crushed under multiple bodies, the blond could do nothing about the instant rise of his blood pressure.

From outside the pile of beautiful female bodies, Cana burst out laughing as the entire hill exploded internally, torrents of blood squirting out between the gaps of silky feminine limbs. "How do you like that huh? That's double payback for making me spill all that booze, as well as dragging me out to that stupid thing with Erza!"

After a moment, the girls all went up in a puff of smoke revealing Naruto sitting on the ground looking rather pale from blood loss. He had an extremely dopy look on his face however and a glazed look over his eyes. Turning his head to look at Cana, he managed a grin. "Yeah, I like that a lot. You been working on the training hey?"

Smirking, the brunette sank back into her chair and rested her head on her hand. "A little. You were my first test. I think I should count that as a full success."

Grinning stupidly, Naruto pulled himself up into a cross legged position. "Yeah, that was a good loss. I like losing to something like that."

Shakily pulling himself to his feet, Naruto staggered over to Cana amidst loud laughter from the guild and slumped into the chair opposite. Dropping his head to the table, the blond let his impressive regeneration abilities raise his blood count to safer levels again.

Quite happy with her victory, Cana pulled another barrel from somewhere and popped its cork before taking a celebratory swig. Wiping her mouth down, she turned her gaze back to the blond. "So where ya been huh? I haven't seen you around."

Still not quite ready to move yet, Naruto spoke into the table. "The council needed me to do some mission for them. All done now so I'm home."

Smiling, Cana took another mouthful before dropping the barrel. Her smile also fell slightly with it as she remembered something. "Did that coffin have something to do with it?"

Feeling a bit better, Naruto gently pushed himself up. "Yeah... Erza knew him. It's not really my place to say though so I'll let her tell you everything. I just helped get him home. Where is Erza anyway?"

Nodding softly as Naruto spoke, Cana sighed. "Well that's sad when you lose someone like that. I dunno if I'd have the guts to ask Erza what happened though, even if she was here. She's still off at the amusement resort her, Natsu, Gray and Lucy went to."

The blond blinked at that new piece of information. "They're where?"

Cana raised the barrel and swallowed another satisfactory mouthful. Smacking her lips, she looked over. "You left just before they did. They somehow got their paws on a few nights stay at the Akane Resort." Grouching slightly to herself, Cana took another calming mouthful. "Lucky bastards. Do you have any idea how much it is to stay there? I wish I could have gone."

Naruto grinned. "How much is it huh? I bet I could cover it!"

Pausing mid sip, the brunette cast an interested eye over toward him. "How so?"

Naruto grinned. "Let's just say I got paid well for that council mission."

Dropping the barrel, Cana rested an arm on the table. She then pointed two fingers at Naruto's eyes, then back at her own. "Ok kid, this is my serious face. Take a good look at it. See how serious it is right now? It'd this serious because if you can honestly get me into that place for a night to two I will love you forever, I swear on it. If not, there will be hell to pay for you raising my hopes so high."

Naruto set his face just like Cana's. "Serious face right back at you. You wish you could be as serious as me right now. Cause we could totally go."

Raising an eyebrow, Cana slowly lifted the barrel to her mouth and took a speculative sip. "Hmmm... alright, how much you got to play with?"

While carefree, Naruto knew what a woman could do when faced with a large amount of money. Chuckling, he patted his pocket. "That's a secret, but enough, comfortably enough. I got it on a cheque though so I'll have to set up a bank account or something."

Nodding slowly, Cana pushed herself up. "Alright then. I'm gonna go back home and start getting ready. You are going to go talk with Mirajane and set up that account."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked up at the tall woman. "Why can't you help me?"

Chuckling, the mage turned. "There's a reason Mira manages all the jobs. She is an absolute wiz when it comes to money. Meet you back here once you're done."

Watching her leave, Naruto turned his attention to a number of other mages that had surrounded his table, namely Wakaba, Macao and a couple of other guys. They were all standing over him smiling rather strangely.

His eyes thinning, Naruto looked them all over cautiously. "What do you all want..."

Nonchalantly scratching his blue moustache, Macao looked down at the blond. "Oh, we couldn't help but overhear that you may have a couple of tickets to Akane."

Snorting, Naruto instantly figured them out. "No. Reason one. Not enough money for that many people. Reason two. You're not female. You can't hang off my arm and make me look even more awesome than usual the way someone like Cana could."

Seriously affronted by the abrupt denial, the group of men spluttered indignantly for a bit before Wakaba managed to find his tongue. "W-what makes you think Cana would be on your arm in the first place?"

Grinning, Naruto walked through them. "It's called money and two little tickets to paradise for a day or two. That's how I know."

Growling, the men watched as Naruto breezed through them. Staring at his shrinking back, Macao leaned into Wakaba and whispered into his ear. "What do you recon, we jump him and force him to take us?"

Taking a deep breath of the ever present pipe in his lips, the dirty blond shook his head. "Nah, that would take way too much effort. You can try if you want."

Shaking his head, Macao began leading the way back to their tables. "There's no chance in hell I'd bother to do something like that alone. Come on, let's just get another mug of booze."

XxXxXxX

Leaning on the bench, Naruto watched as Mirajane cheerfully served a civilian a meal. Waiting until she was done, Naruto raised a hand. "Yo!"

As her eyes lay on him, Mirajane squealed excitedly and dashed over before taking him up in a warm hug. "Naruto! How are you, did your mission go well?"

Encircling the girl with his own arms, Naruto nodded. "Nice to see you too! Yeah, it went ok. I guess you know about Erza's friend?"

Letting go, the woman stood back with a sad smile. "Yeah, I was the one they came to when they wanted to find Erza. It's such a shame."

Nodding, Naruto smiled a little. "Yeah, it's never nice. Where is he if you don't mind me asking?"

Mira shrugged. "They didn't let too many people see the casket. Once they found out Erza wasn't here, they simply left after saying they'll be back once Erza returns. How they'll know that though I will have no idea."

Naruto didn't bother questioning that. Let the council people do what they wanted. Less fuss that way. Having worked out where Simon was though, the blond then decided to switch to a happier subject. "Cana just told me she's actually out at an amusement park right now though."

Grateful for the topic swap, Mirajane nodded. "Yup! They left a few days ago. I'm glad for her because she really needs the break. I wish I could have gone though..."

Smirking, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess it's just your lucky day. I got a nice little bonus so I was wondering if you'd like to come? Cana's decided she'll come too."

The waitress seemed to deflate slightly at hearing that. "Cana? My, isn't she lucky. I wish I could come too, but I've got way too much work on here at the moment."

The blond groaned. "No, that sucks! Come anyway. I can make up a couple of Naruko's and have them work here while you come!"

Smiling sadly, Mirajane shook her head. "Normally that wouldn't be too much of a problem, but the guild really needs money so I must stay to manage the funds and jobs."

Pouting, Naruto crossed his arms. "I wish you could come too. You deserve a break." The blond then blinked as his original mission resurfaced in his mind. "Actually, Cana did say that you could help me with opening a bank account though. Apparently you're the best with money!"

The girl nodded. "Oh, I'm not too bad I suppose. I was just about to take my break any how so we can go and do that now if you needed?"

Nodding happily, Naruto held out a hand. "Please do my lady. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated."

Giggling, Mira reached out daintily and took the hand. "My Naruto, I didn't know you knew how to use words like that!"

Taking offence to that, Naruto snorted indignantly. "What do you mean? I'm know big words like that!"

Giggling again, Mirajane crinkled her nose and pinched his cheek gently. "No, you just seem too cute to be using words like that."

Not really knowing if she was still taking a shot at him or not, Naruto looked down at her suspiciously as she led the way out of the guild.

XxXxXxX

The actual opening of the account was relatively painless when it came down to it. Naruto expected paper work on paper work to be completed but apparently Mira was a frequent customer and had done this a few times before. The fact a Wizard Saint wanted to open an account with that particular branch also seemed to make things roll along a lot smoother too.

When it was time to hand over the cheque though, Mirajane's eyes widened significantly at the amount. Pulling Naruto aside, she began whispering furiously into his ear. "Naruto, what is this? Five Million Jewels? That is staggering! Where did you get it all?"

Grinning, Naruto shrugged. "Eh, the council seemed to like what I did for them."

Blinking several times, the girl looked back down at the slip of paper. "They never pay anyone this kind of amount."

Not really knowing what to say, Naruto just pointed back at the expectant attendant. "Um, so does that mean I can't bank it now?"

Coming back from her surprise, Mira giggled bashfully and turned. "Oh, no you can. Here, let me do this part."

She then handed over the cheque and Naruto resisted the urge to laugh as the man's eyes swelled in side. He looked from the piece of paper to Naruto and back again several times before swallowing nervously. Pushing across a pen, he nodded. "I-if you would just sign this Mr. Uzumaki... I have to go get the manager."

Naruto scratched down something that looked like a signature as the man left. What he didn't expect then was for the paper to sign brightly and apparently copy the signature to the bench top beneath. That then faded into the wood and Naruto was left wondering what just happened. He looked over at his companion and pointed. "So... what was that for?"

Raising a finger, Mirajane launched into an explanation. "Essentially what just happened was they copied your signature into their database. From there, it will be sent via information Lacrima to all the banks around the world so you will have full access to your money wherever you go."

Naruto nodded slowly. "Sooo..."

Sighing patiently, Mira patted his hand. "You can get your money from anywhere you want."

"Ah! That explains it." While always cautious with his money, Naruto never really used the banks back in the Elemental Nations simply because he didn't really have enough to justify opening an account. That and they always tried to rip him off whenever he went in there.

Hearing a door open, a well dressed man in his mid thirties was revealed before walking over to Naruto excitedly. Extending a hand as he neared, Naruto had to squint slightly as his teeth glinted. "Mr. Uzumaki! What a pleasure it is doing business with you! I'm the store manager, Jake Steels. I have just been informed of your incredible deposit and wish to offer you this opportunity to..."

The words kind of drifted to the back of Naruto's head as he watched the man's lips absently. As this went on, Mira could see Naruto entering into his empty box and essentially switching off from the world. Chuckling to herself, the girl shook her head and took over and saved Naruto from any further boredom. "Here Mr. Steels, let me talk with you about that. Naruto has trusted me with starting his account, haven't you Naruto?"

"Eh?" Blinking, Naruto realised he was being spoken to. Looking at the expectant faces, Naruto pursed his lips as he hoped he guessed the right answer. "...yes."

Internally fist pumping as the two people before him smiled widely, Naruto knew he answered correctly. Following the two as they walked away to a room, Naruto found himself a seat and dropped into it. Jake smiled widely at Naruto as he made himself comfortable before turning his attention back to Mirajane.

From there, the time seemed to magically slow down to the point where every second seemed to take ten to pass. It was nearly identical to what happened back in the days of the ninja academy so Naruto began to wonder if there was a conspiracy going on or something. Sighing, the once comfy seat now felt like it had sticks poking out of it. Struggling to get relaxed, Naruto groaned and looked at the clock. This was gonna take a while.

XxXxXxX

Walking back to the guild, Naruto moaned as he twisted his back around and felt his spine pop back into place. Stretching his hands high above his head, a few more ligaments realigned and the blond sighed. Turning to look at his smaller companion, Naruto shook his head disbelievingly. "How you willingly walk into a time capsule like that I'll never know. I swear even boring itself was bored!"

Rolling her eyes, Mirajane looked up at the teen. "It wasn't that bad. We were barely in there for thirty minutes!"

Naruto shook his head. "Lies. That had to be atleast two hours."

Shrugging, the girl stepped through the guild entrance. "Whatever you believe Naruto."

Just then a deeper female voice called out to Naruto and the blond turned. Smiling as he saw Cana running towards him, he waved. "Hey Cana! All ready?"

Drawing up beside the pair, Cana nodded. "All set." She motioned to a backpack over her shoulders and grinned. "Bet you didn't think a girl could pack light did ya?"

Naruto shrugged. "With what I had to do, girls didn't have the option of taking forever to pack."

Turning back to Mirajane, he took the girl up in a surprise hug and lifted her easily off her feet. She giggled in his arms as he squeezed her a bit before setting her down. "I still think it sucks you can't come."

Sighing unhappily, Mira nodded. "Yeah, but work comes first I suppose."

Grinning cheekily, Cana decided to interrupt and draped herself over Naruto's shoulder. "Maybe next time Mira. I'll do my best to keep Naruto company for you until we get back."

Looking up at the brunette, Mira smiled pleasantly as her form seemed to darken slightly. Naruto realised what was happening and wisely decided to step back. "Oh, you needn't do that for me. Naruto and I keep well enough company that you don't have to strain yourself to help keep it alive. You just do whatever you have planned and Naruto will do his."

Having clued on a bit better than Erza did when placed in the same position, Cana began sweating slightly as she looked down at the cheery waitress. "Uh, sure thing! Yeah, Naruto's a big boy, he can take care of himself. Isn't that right?"

Turning to look at the blond, her eyes begged for help. Not really trusting himself here, Naruto just nodded.

"Well that's fine then!" The shadows seemed to lessen around the girl and she smiled up at them both pleasantly. "Off you go then! You don't wanna waste too much time here."

Nodding, Cana backed away with a wave as Mira returned the gesture. "Well, see you in a day or two!"

Resisting the urge to then drag Naruto away, the brunette walked as quickly as politely possible away from the curvy barmaid.

XxXxXxX

A while later, Cana and Naruto were flying through the air as they rushed toward the fabled resort. Cana was still getting over the fact Naruto could fly and as such was clinging onto him via a death grip. If the blond didn't know how to reinforce himself with chakra, he'd have been suffocated by now. Trying to get her mind off the height they were travelling at for the moment, Naruto looked over his shoulder at the girl. "So, you're a bit scared of Mira-chan huh?"

Shuddering, Cana shook away old memories. "And with good reason too. You never saw her when she was younger."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto waited for her to continue. "She was like crazy strong and at the same time insane. She regularly picked fights with Erza just for the hell of it."

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "Mirajane? That same one? No way."

Cana nodded vehemently. "Nah, I swear! You saw that darkness around her before? That was a tiny bit of her former ability... though I don't actually know why it's coming back."

Naruto pondered the happy girl for a moment. "So... what was her magic exactly?"

Cana shook her head at this. "If she hasn't told you then I really shouldn't."

The blond mentally slapped himself. Of course he shouldn't ask Cana. That'd be like some random asking Kakashi to reveal all Naruto's secrets. "Yeah... I should have known that. Still, it's a weird feeling magic! My stomach starts feeling funny."

Raising her eyebrows, Cana shuffled around on Naruto's back. "Really? That's an unusual reaction to – oh look! I can see it!"

Turning his gaze upward, Naruto followed the elegant finger as it pointed into the distance. As his eyes rested upon the massive structure, stars began shining brightly in the blond teens eyes as he saw what looked like the most incredible place on earth come into view.

Cylindrical towers stood up everywhere from an old style castle, their peaked roofs pointing up to the sky. Windows covered them all indicating that they were most probably the hotel rooms that the patrons stayed in. The main body of the place itself faced towards the ocean, a magnificent beach spread out before it for all to use. Picturesque scenery surrounded the resort, a sizeable mountain behind the park donning the name 'Akane Resort'.

As Naruto got closer, he began to make out a face on the largest dome, right in the middle of the park and situated over the main bulk of the castle. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto couldn't help but wonder who decided that a happy duck was to be the face that everyone thought of when they considered the place. Within the mouth of the duck again was the name 'Akane Resort', just in case you couldn't see the enormous sign behind on the mountain.

Outside of that though was what really drew the blond's attention. Weaving in and around the massive towers were tracks on tracks on tracks of rides, each holding a tiny little buggy of screaming people as it circled the park. Behind that was an enormous Ferris Wheel, easily twenty times bigger than anything Naruto had seen before. The tiny little things that came to Konoha from time to time had absolutely nothing on this beast as it stretched some hundred feet into the air.

Sucking in a stray strand of drool, Naruto could only begin to imagine the number of other things the place must have held if those enormous constructions were visible from so far away. Grinning widely, Naruto quickly wrapped an arm around each of Cana's legs. Before the girl could even begin to voice her complaints, Naruto doubled his speed and shot towards the park with a terrified scream from his passenger.

XxXxXxX

"Woooooooow..."

Now standing within the room he had rented, Naruto looked around in awe. It was easily three times the size of his apartment back home and thirty times better furnished. A skin coloured cream covered the walls with a darker maroon coating the ceiling. A quarter of a pillar was visible in each corner of the room, each one covered with a soothing criss-cross pattern that faded into the walls. A massive doorway stood proudly off to the side, the canary yellow curtains drawn back to reveal a spacious balcony overlooking the pristine ocean.

Two beds sat opposite the doorway, each covered in an expensive velvet quilt embroided with silk and gold thread. Pictures decorated every wall, some of magnificent landscapes and mountain scenery, others of underwater caverns and yet others of the sky, captured at different times during the day and night. The occasional pot plant either hung from the wall or sat inconspicuously off to the side to help add a little greenery to the overall appearance.

Towards the back of the room was a table and chairs, the eating place separated from the kitchen via a small dividing wall. Opposite the quaint kitchen was a door that led off toward the bathroom and shower, the washing machine hiding in there somewhere too.

Finally finishing off the room was an enormous, ceiling to floor mirror that was held by an incredibly ornate wooden border. Intricate swirls and twists threaded their way through the wood in a way that only a master craftsman could hope to accomplish.

A thump behind the blond drew him from his wide eyed staring. Turning, he saw Cana drop her backpack onto one of the beds and grin up at him. "I call shots on this one."

Chuckling, Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he turned to face her fully. "Look, I'm kinda sorry you had to do this..."

Cutting him off with a wave of the hand, Cana began digging around in her bag. "Bah, it's not like you could help that all the double rooms have been booked."

Chuckling again, Naruto lowered his hand and looked around at the room again. Time must have passed pretty quickly when he heard Cana laugh behind him. "You really that impressed by this place? I mean, yeah it's super fancy, but it's not even one of the super luxurious rooms!"

Shrugging, a small smile tugged at Naruto's mouth. "Yeah, maybe but my place doesn't even compare to this. I might as well be standing in a palace right now."

Raising an eyebrow as she continued to dig around in her bag, Cana watched as the teen seemed to fade into memories for a moment. Deciding that enough was enough, the girl strode forward before flicking him right in the middle of the forehead. "Ouch! What was that for?"

Grinning at him, Cana placed her hands on the curves of her hips. "You looked like you were about to fade away on me there so I had to come save you. For now though, who cares what you live like back home? Here, you pretty much ARE royalty. You're a Wizard of the Ten Saints for crying out loud! Forget about home, if only for a day or two and enjoy this place. YOU bought this, not me. I'm just a trophy girl for all I care now. You better enjoy yourself mister or else."

Seeing the teasing glint in the brunette's eyes, Naruto smirked and tried to flick her back. "Fade away? You wish! There ain't no way I'd let you have this whole place to yourself!"

Laughing, Cana slung an arm around her companion. "That's what I wanted to hear! Now stop gawking at the room and go do something! I'm off to find Gray and hopefully coax him into a drinking battle. I'll catch you later for that 'date' you owe me."

Excessively sighing, Naruto pushed Cana off his person. "I bring you out here, rent you a room and you _still_ want that date?"

Winking, Cana shook her chest a little. "What you don't wanna see the dress I especially brought along for the date?"

Distracted momentarily by the impressive amounts of breast swinging before him, Naruto shook his head. "Ok, I take that back. You have yourself a deal."

Cocking her eyebrow teasingly, Cana turned and wandered toward the door. "That's what I thought. I'll catch you later."

Walking through it, she pulled it closed after her with a soft click. Watching it for another few seconds, Naruto sighed and shook his head. That girl was shameless and he liked it. Grinning at the thought of the not-date they had planned, Naruto rubbed his hands together in excitement.

That came later though. For now, he had some important business he had to attend to.

XxXxXxX

Wandering into the main gaming room, Naruto looked around in awe. The roof stretched high above his head and the whole place had this kind of sparkly hint in the air all around. Multiple gambling tables filled the room, joyous cries emitting from some as people won big while moans of disappointment sounded out from others as their holiday was cut short.

Despite all the splendour around him, Naruto shut his eyes tight and shook his head. 'No looking around, gotta find Erza.'

It was her energy signature that had led him here in the first place, so that was the only reason he came here. Looking around for the striking redhead, Naruto squinted as he tried to spot her. Try as he might though, he couldn't see her usual armour plated torso anywhere. Slowly walking down the main isle, Naruto tried to pick up on the woman's signature. It was so much harder when he wasn't using **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)** but Naruto wasn't one to give up. Desperately sorting through the plethora of beacons, Naruto eventually stumbled across the one he was looking for.

Following it, the blond was surprised to find himself looking at the back of an extremely well dressed young lady. A beautiful midnight blue, ankle length dress covered her body, her neck and back exposed to the world via a crossing number of threads that revealed skin all the way down to the small of her back. A pair of elegant, elbow length white gloves covered her hands which gave her a very graceful air. Her hair was done up in a tasteful top knot, her fringe left to frame the sides of her face. It was the striking red he had been searching for so with a grin, Naruto reached out and tapped her shoulder. "Hey Erza!"

Turning, the girl looked up in surprise at who it was. "Naruto! I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Happy only just told me you had arrived."

Chuckling at the confrontation he had with the excitable cat, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I ran into him. He left pretty quickly to tell everyone as soon as he saw me."

Nodding, Erza smiled gently. "Yes, he has a habit of doing that. So how have you found this place so far?"

Grinning widely, Naruto stared waving his arms around. "It is huge! And so awesome! Rides are everywhere and there's even more food than I can eat! There are nicely dressed people who are actually easy to talk to as well and talk about all the pretty girls... wait, getting sidetracked here." Shaking his head, Naruto refocused. "The reason I came down to find you was because I actually need to talk with you in private."

Frowning as Naruto's demeanour turned serious, Erza nodded. "Is it anything that is happening right now?"

The blond shook his head. "No, but you'll still wanna hear about it like, now."

Erza nodded again. "Very well. I just had to make sure everyone was ok."

She then began walking past Naruto and led him away from the group and into a quiet room down the back. Looking around, Naruto blinked as he realised every booth had duel seats that were covered in a soft velvet red. A table separated them but the blond didn't think too many people would be sitting opposite one another in here. Walking down the back to one of the empty areas, Erza slid into one of the seats and motioned for Naruto to join her. Dropping into the soft couch, Naruto had to fight the urge to grin as he bounced about for a second.

Feeling Erza looking at him, Naruto turned and saw her staring at him with that usual seriousness. Now that he was here though, Naruto sighed and scratched his head as he tried to think of a way to break it to her. "So, the reason I actually called you out here was about your friend, Simon."

Instantly stiffening as the name was said, Erza furrowed her eyebrows but remained silent. "Well... I got him to the council safely before I had to go off and sort out some other stuff. They went and put him in a coffin for you and prepped him and everything for the burial. They took him to Fairy Tail to look for you, but when they found out you weren't there, they took him somewhere else to wait for you to get back."

Nodding sadly, Erza looked down at her gloved hands. "That... is most generous of the council, especially after what he did."

Naruto tried smiling for her. "Well, I know atleast one of the council guys was sympathetic towards him. Maybe he did it for you?"

Nodding again, Erza didn't look up. "I must find out who did that for me and thank them personally."

The blond nodded. "Yeah, I bet he'd like that. Anyway, this brings me to what I wanted to ask."

Now looking up, Erza's hurt eyes stared into Naruto's own. "And that is?"

Scratching his head, Naruto scowled as he tried to word it right. "Well, I wanted to know if you'll go back now. I know you can if you wanna, but at the same time I dunno if you'd wanna spend the rest of the time off you have here. The council has him in good hands so he certainly won't go bad or anything..."

Frowning as he heard that last statement, Naruto shook his head. "But yeah, Mira-chan said you deserve this break, but at the same time no one could blame you if you wanted to go back and bury him right away. If you really needed, I could have you back at Fairy Tail within the hour."

Blinking at Naruto's faith in his own speed, Erza studied him for a moment before relaxing slightly. "Well, this is a difficult decision... I believe the others who knew him should have a say in this also."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto looked over his shoulder. "Others? You mean that Millianne cat-girl?"

Giggling softly, Erza nodded. "It's Millianna. And yes, her and two others who were extremely close to me and Simon are here. I believe they deserve the chance to hear this and then we can decide as a group what to do."

Nodding, Naruto grinned encouragingly. "Yeah, that sounds smart! I'm glad you know what you're doing now cause I'd have no idea."

Smiling warmly at the blond teen, Erza tipped her head to the side. "Well, I thank you for letting me know this so quickly." She then reached out and gently took up Naruto in a brief hug. Though surprised by the action, the blond just smiled and hugged her back. Drawing away, Erza then sighed. "I suppose I must go find Millianna and the others now. As for you, you could go and find Lucy and let her help you find some more suitable clothing for the environment."

Frowning, Naruto looked down at himself. "What's wrong with this?"

Raising an eyebrow, Erza reached out and pinched the orange fabric. "While it may be suitable for everyday use, it really isn't the type of clothing you'd wear to a formal room. Didn't you notice everyone looking at you?"

Blinking absently, Naruto shook his head. "Nup."

Rolling her eyes, Erza placed a delicate hand to her forehead. "I should have guessed. No, you need something a bit more proper for this type of setting."

Huffing, Naruto crossed his arms. "But it'll just get ruined like my last new set of clothes."

Gently pushing Naruto out of the booth, Erza stood up behind him. "No they won't, because this time you won't be fighting in them. Now off you go and find Lucy. She'll be able to help you buy something more fitting and at a pretty good price too I'd imagine."

Continuing to huff, Naruto looked away. "Alright fine, but only because you asked."

Giggling, Erza reached out and fondly ruffled his hair. "Thank you Naruto. I shall talk with you soon."

And with that, the beautiful redhead gracefully walked out of the room.

XxXxXxX

Stomping along with his hands in his pockets, Naruto hunted about for Lucy as requested by Erza. He may have agreed to do this, but it didn't mean he had to like it. If anything, he was more worried about the time it could take to find something. If Lucy was anything like Mira-chan, then Naruto better settle himself in for the long haul.

Following his crappy sensing abilities directions, Naruto wandered through a number of rooms looking for his blond target before giving up and just deciding to follow his nose. Sniffing at the air, Naruto found himself being directed back the way he came. Wandering along with his nose in the air, Naruto pretty much closed his eyes and followed the scent as he drifted through a few more rooms before coming to a stop in a small bar.

Looking around, Naruto spotted the vibrant blond as she animatedly chatted away with the bartender, accentuating her tale via wide arm movements. Wandering up, Naruto dropped into the seat beside her and poked her. Squealing, the girl turned to look at the offender. Once realising who it was, she gave a little cry of surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Naruto! When did you get here?"

Grinning as she pressed her face against his, Naruto shrugged. "Awww, not that long ago. Cana came with me too. I'm surprised you didn't know. We ran into Happy at the reception counter."

Hearing this, the girl rolled her eyes and huffed. "He probably forgot I existed." Moving on from that, she then fixed Naruto with a smile. "So you and Cana are here huh? What for? You have a date or something?"

Backing away from her seedy grin, Naruto chuckled. "No, nothing like that. She just wanted to come along so I thought why not. Besides, she said she'd be my trophy girl for bringing her along so I can't think of anything much more awesome than striding down the main walkway with her on my arm!"

Giggling, Lucy propped her cheek up in one palm. "Yeah, she is really beautiful hey. I wish I had her eyes..."

Crinkling his nose, Naruto looked at the girl. "What for? Your eyes suit you just right!"

Looking up at her fellow blond, the girl smiled. "Well thank you. I'm glad you like them."

She then shifted both arms to the table top, completely unaware of the generous amount of cleavage that spilled forth from her low cut top. Desperately trying not to blatantly look, Naruto wished he had a set of sun glasses so he could perve more discreetly. "Uh, well Erza said I ain't dressed right and that you could help me buy something nice. I gotta warn you though, if you take as long as Mira-chan, I'm ditching you at the first shop."

Snorting, Lucy shook her head. "Please, I'm a well versed girl. I know how much guys like you hate clothes shopping so I promise it won't take too much time."

Nodding, Naruto fixed her with a glare. "Alright, I trust you with this. Don't make me lose my faith in you."

Sweat dropping at the unusual and misplaced seriousness, Lucy held her hands up disarmingly and nodded. "Sure, sure! You have nothing to worry about with me. Alright, let's go!"

Jumping to her feet, the young blond female raised a determined fist as Naruto watched her curiously. Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto stuffed his hands in his pockets as Lucy began looking around through the few exits to the room. "So where are we going?"

Grinning, Lucy reached out and grabbed Naruto's sleeve before dragging him through one of the doors. "My shopping senses are telling me that this way is good!"

Blinking in confusion, Naruto just let himself be pulled away. Shopping senses?

XxXxXxX

Standing with his arms held out, Naruto struggled to hold in tears as Lucy fussed over him for the hundredth time. Modesty was counted as nothing when it came to shopping as every single, possible square inch of his body had been thoroughly measured and noted. Places he didn't even know existed apparently had measurements and as such, the blond believed his female tormenter and the clerk with her now had a better knowledge of his own body than he did.

After all that had been finished, Naruto had been subjected to multiple clothing changes. Any escape he attempted early on had been thwarted by the ruthless duo as they dragged him back for more clothing changes. Towards the end of it, the blond wondered why he didn't just create ten clones and have them all dress up with him. That would have cut down time significantly. As it was though, Naruto _hoped_ this was the last one of the day.

Most everything else they had tried on him had been stiff, fitted measurements. It might have felt alright when his arms hung by his sides like a pair of wooden boards, but as soon as he tried to move, the fabric bunched up and generally restricted a great amount of movement. No, the blond was adamant that he got something that atleast had some form of elasticity.

Eventually, the girls had stumbled over a stylish, evening blue shirt that gave the illusion of being fitted while having the range of a normal shirt. A deep orange, clip on tie stuck to the front of his shirt that Naruto demanded be included with the package. All things considered, it didn't look as bad as it could have. So that, coupled with a pair of black slacks and simple shoes seemed to finish off the blonds attire rather nicely.

Looking over himself, Naruto frowned as he twisted to look behind himself. "Not enough orange."

Rolling her eyes, Lucy gave him a lopsided grin. "Well, you can either deal with it, or we can keep looking for you if you want?"

Realising the danger, Naruto quickly threw up his hands and plastered a false grin on his face. "No, no, this is just fine then! I love it, honest!"

Grinning, Lucy grossed her arms. "That's what I thought. Alright then, time to pay up!"

Looking over at his beloved jacket and pants, Naruto sighed and resignedly pulled his ever present scroll from his pants pocket. Sealing them within, he then tucked the scroll into a pocket inside his shirt. "Alright, how much do I owe?"

Ringing up the amount, the clerk smiled happily at the now rather handsome blond. "That will be twenty five thousand jewels. You're young lady friend certainly has a knack for spotting bargains!"

Nodding absently, Naruto pulled out his envelope that contained a bit of his money. He still wasn't all that flash with withdrawing money so Mirajane had taken the liberty to withdraw a considerable amount for his trip. Fishing around through the notes, Naruto pulled out the correct amount and passed it over.

Tucking it away, Naruto sighed in relief. "It's finally over..."

Feeling a delicate set of fingers intertwine with his own, Naruto looked down to see Lucy beaming up at him. "What are you talking about? Now we gotta go find you some casual clothes!"

Terror rising up in his chest, Naruto struggled to escape, but the prospect of more shopping strengthened the normally weak girl. Clamping her hand down around Naruto's, she took off like a bullet towards the next shop, Naruto flailing along helplessly behind her.

XxXxXxX

Dropping onto his bed, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as he finally got away from that shopping demon. Outside of this she was the gentlest creature in the whole guild, but stick her in a shop and she grew fangs, claws and the strength of ten men.

Rolling over, Naruto looked at the sizeable quantity of bags now strewn around. After that first shop, he had been forced to buy swimmers, several sets of casual clothing, even more sets of shoes and to top it all off, a rubber inner tube for when he went to the beach. He couldn't quite understand her reasoning for that since he could _walk_ on water, but the girl was adamant that he needed it.

Looking back up at the ceiling, Naruto released a slow breath and watched as the evening sun reflected off the water and painted the roof in an ever changing mixture of reds, golds, oranges and yellows. Hearing the door open, Naruto looked down his body to see Cana wandering in with a couple of bags in hand. When she spied Naruto's haul however, she whistled. "Damn boy, I wasn't expecting you to go so hard first day." Having a look in one of the bags, she raised an eyebrow. "And all clothing?"

Shaking his head, Naruto mumbled something before speaking up. "Not by choice. Lucy took me around and used me as a life sized dress up doll."

Chuckling, Cana dropped her own stuff onto her bed. "I wish I could have watched. I bet it would have been hilarious."

Naruto crossed his arms with a huff. "Maybe because you didn't have to endure it! What if you were me huh?"

Shrugging, Cana began sorting through her buys. "Eh, I'm a girl. Not your stereotypical one but still a girl. I'd have probably enjoyed it a whole lot more than you did."

Frowning, Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Well it still sucked."

Rolling her eyes, the brunette wandered over and dropped down beside Naruto. "Well, it's all over now isn't it? And you even got some classy clothes to boot. So stop grumping and come down for dinner."

Now that he thought about it, the blond was kinda hungry. Pulling himself up, Naruto stretched and looked down at his state of dress. He was still in those first set of clothes Lucy had thrust into his arms. It was good enough. Turning to look at the bags around him, Naruto just raised an eyebrow before kicking them all off onto the floor. Turning back, the blond was then confronted by a rather surprising sight.

Cana was facing away from him as she held a pretty emerald green dress up. The thing that got Naruto however was that she had discarded her usual bikini top and let everything hang free. Now, seeming she was facing away from him he couldn't see anything specific, but the swell of her bust that was visible around her trim back was more than enough to get Naruto's blood pumping.

"So you gonna just look or are you gonna start getting ready too?"

Despite having been caught out, Naruto didn't look away. "Well, I'm kinda already ready. So yeah, I think I'll just keep watching. You think I'd pass up an opportunity like this?"

Chuckling, Cana slipped the dress over her head. Pulling it down, she then began wrestling with her pants beneath before slipping them out from under the knee length outfit. Stepping out, she turned to look back and Naruto and raised an eyebrow when she saw him watching on avidly. "You're just a little perve, aren't you?"

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "You had just as much part in this as I did. You could have gone into the bathroom and changed but nooo, you decide to change right in front of me. I claim innocence."

Shrugging, Cana threw her pants onto the bed and fluffed her generous amount of hair out with her hands. "Whatever stud. So you gonna accompany me down to the eating area or has a girl gotta walk herself there?"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto stood up. "Needy woman. Yes, I suppose I can."

Chuckling, Cana pulled her heeled shoes on and offered her arm to the blond. "Guess it's time I pay up and make you look awesome."

Grinning, Naruto took the presented limb. "That's what I like to hear." He then frowned and looked at her curiously. "Hang on... are you taller than me in heels?"

Shrugging, Cana opened the door for them. "Perhaps. What does it matter?"

Grinning, Naruto crossed his fingers. "Nothing."

He suddenly went up in a puff of smoke and Cana was left to wave away the excess cloud as she coughed. Once she could see Naruto though, she had to look up at the now taller male. "Interesting way to use a transformation."

Chuckling, Naruto just let her walk out first. "It'd look weird otherwise. Just think though, now you have a big strong arm to hang off in case you slip."

Rolling her eyes, the brunette smirked. "You wish."

Quirking an eyebrow as he pulled the door closed, Naruto grinned. "Maybe I do."

XxXxXxX

Having met up with the other Fairy Tail members, Naruto and Cana had instantly been swallowed up into the mayhem. Funnily enough though, Natsu wasn't there to raise the bar of destructiveness and noise to the next level. Wandering up beside Gray, Naruto nudged the scruffy teen. "So where's Natsu? I'd have thought you 'n' him would be brawling on the floor when we arrived."

Laughing sharply, Gray raised an eyebrow. "That loser? No, he went and ate some of that Lacrima back when he was fighting Jellal. Apparently he didn't realise that eating solid energy would have adverse effects on one's body."

Pursing his lips, Naruto thought back to the fight. "Was that why he was covered in scales and stuff?"

Gray shrugged. "I dunno. I wasn't there during that part. Ask Erza about that."

Nodding, Naruto went to say something but was cut off as a body literally slammed into his side with considerable force. Struggling to keep his feet, Naruto flapped his arms around for a second before realising someone was nuzzling his cheek.

"Kitty-kitty! You came back for me!"

Struggling to see exactly who it was attached to him, Naruto tried to pull the female body off him with little success. Hearing a laugh, Naruto turned to see Erza watching on in amusement. "I see Millianna found you."

The face against his finally pulled back to reveal the innocent face of the cat obsessed teen. Squealing in delight, she wrapped both arms and legs around him as she buried her face into his chest. "I've missed you kitty! I really, really have! Don't leave me again!"

"Uh..." Not quite sure what to do, Naruto looked over at the group helplessly.

"Boy, you might as well just let her be. That girl has a dandy affection to anything resembling cats and those whisker marks of yours are right up her alley, get it?"

Raising an eyebrow at the odd voice, Naruto turned to come face to face with one of the most peculiar individuals he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. His entire body was completely made out of rectangles and squares, his clothing stuck fast to his body like it was tattooed on. Even his dark shades were stuck fast over his eyes. What he was wearing however was a purple suit with a red tie and white undershirt, looking all the world like a mobster boss. The only part of his attire that wasn't a cube of some form was his white, waist length scarf and purple mobster hat.

Blinking several times, Naruto opened his mouth to say hello but instead found himself saying, "How are you even alive?"

Raising one rectangular finger, the man pushed his glasses up his nose and smirked. "I'm a well rounded man. My magic has a flair to it that helps keep me trendy, get it?"

Naruto's eyes thinned as the man flashed him a set of shiny teeth. "Well, I wouldn't really call you rounded..."

Chuckling, Erza walked up behind the man and placed a familiar hand on his shoulder. "I see you have already met Millianna. Naruto, I would like to introduce you to my dear friend, Wally."

Tipping his hat toward the blond, the newly dubbed Wally extended a hand. Shuffling an arm around the girl still firmly attached to his side, Naruto reached out and took it. "Nice to meet you."

Still grinning, Wally pulled his hand back. "Likewise. Now how about we all go get ourselves some dandy food?"

Ignoring the speech quirk, Naruto nodded and motioned for him to lead the way. Watching as Erza walked away beside the odd man, Naruto heard Millianna begin purring into his ear. Trying to turn and look at the girl, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So, are you going to just stay there all night?"

Giggling, the girl nodded. "Yup! You're my most favourite! I love you!"

Sighing, Naruto heard another chuckle beside him as he began walking after the group. "You're lucky in a way. I knew a number of guys who'd love to have her attention lathered on them like that."

Turning to face the new person, Naruto was relieved to see a relatively normal, well tanned individual. Scruffy blond hair stuck up from his head everywhere, much like Naruto's own, only longer and (if possibly) a little bit more gravity defying. A single earring hung down from his left ear, the thin silver chain dangling all the way down to his shoulder. The only other defining mark on the teen was a single, stylised 'S' tattooed onto the left side of his chin. Grinning, Naruto stretched out his still free arm. "It's nice to meet someone normal. Naruto."

Chuckling, the blond man took the hand. "Shou. It's nice to meet you too." His face then seemed to drop a bit and he looked away. "Uh, about the Tower of Heaven too... I'm really sorry about Jellal. I heard about what you had to deal with."

Frowning, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What's to be sorry about?"

Sighing, the teen rubbed his arm. "Well, half the reason everything went so crazy was because me, Wally and Millianna helped build the thing. We might have been tricked, but that doesn't make our wrongs right."

Smiling brightly, Naruto reached out and clapped the despondent blond on his shoulder. "Bah, not to worry! That's in the past and you seem cool now, so why should that effect what I think of you?"

Looking up in surprise, Shou furrowed his eyebrows. "You sure?"

Grinning, Naruto nodded. "Yup! Everything's alright."

Allowing a small smile to reach his mouth, Shou nodded. "Well... thank you."

Ignoring the softly mewing girl who had moved from nuzzling his chest up to his neck, Naruto gave him Gai-sensei's patented 'good guy' pose. "Don't mention it! How about we go get some food now huh? I'm starving!"

Nodding a little more animatedly, Shou grinned. "Yeah, I am pretty hungry."

Wrapping an arm around his new friend's shoulders, Naruto pulled him in and gently head butted him. "Awesome! Off to the banquet!"

XxXxXxX

Naruto found himself back in that quiet room at the end of the gaming hall with his stomach grumbling loudly. Just as he got his first mouthful, Erza pulled him up and away with her group of close friends. Millianna had once again pounced on him and now was stuck with her rubbing her hair into his nose.

Sighing, Naruto considered voicing his complaints but knew he was probably here because of what he spoke with Erza earlier about. Watching as the woman drew their attention; Erza let out a little sigh and began. "The reason I brought you all out here was because of what I explained to you earlier. Naruto was kind enough to offer us all a flight back to the guild if need be, so now after a few hours to think I would like to hear your thoughts."

Naruto didn't specifically remember promising _everyone_ here a trip back to the guild but he kept his mouth shut.

Shou was the first to speak up, the troubled boy looking to the ground uncertainly. "Well... I still don't know what I want to do. Simon deserves to be buried, but at the same time I know he'd want us to enjoy our time together."

Wally nodded and he spoke up. "Exactly. Simon was a fantastic friend and a dandy example of a man, so he deserves a proper send off. I would like to stay here a while longer though and celebrate his life with you all. Simon would want us to remember him fondly, so I'd prefer to stay, get it?"

Erza nodded as Millianna then spoke up from her perch on Naruto's side. "Yeah... I love Simon and I know he loved us, so I wanna stay and have all this fun for him. That way, when we go back to see him off properly, we can tell him all the stories about what happened here!" The girl's eyes began watering as fond memories surfaced. Naruto noticed and wrapped a comforting arm around the girl, to which she instantly leaned into. "I miss him so much but I want to pretend, just this last time, that he is here having fun with us all."

Hearing a sniff, Naruto looked over to see the other three members all wiping their eyes gently. While immune to most forms of emotion, Naruto couldn't help but feel his eyes start watering a little in the emotional atmosphere. He'd usually say something about now to try lighten the mood, but the blond knew that right now, they needed to sort this out. Forcefully sucking the wetness back behind his eyes, Naruto just watched as the group all sniffled together for a few minutes longer. After a while, everyone looked up at Erza let out a soft laugh. "Look at us. What a mess we have made." Wiping her eyes, the girl tried her best to hide the redness. "I guess we'll stay there then for the remainder of the time. I only ask that you all enjoy yourselves as much as possible for Simon's sake."

A small cry of approval sounded out from the group before they all leaned in for a group hug. Naruto unexpectedly found himself dragged in by Millianna too, the girl still not too willing to let go of him. So stuck amongst the circle of bodies, all Naruto could do was look down at them all. They were lucky they all had such good friends to rely on.

He just hoped they gathered themselves soon 'cause his stomach was literally eating its way into his spine.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – I could have gone on, but there seemed like a nice place to stop. There wasn't much more to write anyway because I won't be detailing the rest of their stay there deeply. I'll touch on it next chapter, but only briefly. The date with Cana and Erza will get a little bit of love though so don't worry about that. It might be good for an omake or two. Anyway, I hope you all liked the little interlude._

**Omake**

Hearing Lucy's happy cry, two of the three males ran over to inspect the book. Frowning, Natsu turned his nose up at it. "That's worth two million jewels? My ass it is. Still, let's burn it and get out."

Reaching out for it, Natsu found his hand slapped away. "Don't you dare! This book is written by Kemu-Zaleon! He's like the greatest writer/magician ever to have lived! I'm a massive fan!"

Cradling the book to her breast, Lucy took on a love struck face as she poured out her wanton desire for the book. "I've read all his works, but this one must be an unfinished masterpiece!"

Shrugging, Natsu raised a finger, igniting it. "Well, whatever, let's burn it!"

Diving away from the flame, Lucy held the book protectively. "Don't you dare! This is like one of the wonders of the world! To destroy this is like... is like destroying your scarf!"

Eyes widening, Natsu grabbed the fabric around his neck protectively and snorted. "That doesn't even compare! Leave my scarf out of this!"

"So that's what you were after hey?"

Pausing, the group looked around in surprise. A moment later, out of the floor exploded a very short, very fat man. He was obviously very wealthy if his fine designer clothing had anything to say about it. His perfectly styled hair didn't move a fraction as he landed, the man raising a finger to twirl the hair beneath his nose. "I was beginning to wonder what you stupid mages were looking for, but it turns out it was just that crappy book. I don't really understand why you want that though, it sucked."

Gears within Lucy's mind began turning as she saw a possibly way out of this. "So, if you say it sucks so badly, does that mean we can have it?"

Stamping his foot, the owner of the Everlue estate shook his head. "HELL NO! I don't care if it sucks! What's mine is mine and I ain't letting some second rate mage take my possessions!"

Pouting, Lucy held the book closer. "Cheapskate. Just let me have it already."

Ticking his tongue out, Everlue sneered at the blond. "You wish. Get out of my house Ugly."

Instantly collapsing under the hurtful comment, Lucy was reduced to a quivering pile as she desperately tried to reassure herself that she wasn't ugly. Not really caring one way or another, Natsu just raised a palm and let it explode into flame. "Just give it up and let me burn it Lucy!"

Gathering herself, the girl swung a kick at the advancing mage. "No! I'll never let it go!"

Growling, Natsu levelled her with a serious gaze. "Lucy, this is a job!"

Pausing, the blond girl then slid to the floor and opened the book. "Let me read it then."

The men all around her face faulted before Everlue jumped back to his feet absolutely livid with anger. "NO! How dare you barge into my house and then try and read my precious books! Fla –"

His rant was subsequently cut off when a book flew out of nowhere and nailed him right in the nose. Holding the now red area, Everlue looked around furiously. "WHO THREW THAT?"

Jumping forward, Naruto held up a fist. "I did damnit! You suck! You're taste in porn sucks! Your taste in books in general sucks! How can one person suck so hard? It's like you're trying to suck for the whole world!"

Snorting in disgust, Everlue wrinkled up his nose. "How dare you say something like that! What's wrong with my porn?"

Holding up a book, Naruto tapped the cover. "This! All the girls in here are worse than ugly! Given the choice, I'd MUCH rather perve on Lucy naked all day than anything in here!"

Ignoring the girls cry of "Leave me out of it!", Everlue spat towards Naruto. "And I'm disgusted by that blond girl's mere presence! It's all a matter of opinion."

Opening the book to a particularly harsh looking female, Naruto tapped the page. "She has a _snout_."

Sniffing, Everlue looked away. "And I just say she has high cheek bones."

Shuddering, Naruto then tossed the book to Natsu. "Here, set this on fire and eat it."

"NO!"

Ignoring the cry, Naruto threw the book into the air. Within seconds it was well alight and within a few seconds more, nestled within Natsu's stomach.

Turning to look back at the portly man, Naruto saw that he was now visibly shaking in anger. "You... you filthy little maggot! HOW DARE YOU!"

Ignoring the man, Naruto turned as he heard Natsu make a noise. "Oi, where'd Lucy go?"

Looking around, Naruto frowned. "I dunno, she was here a second ago..." Shrugging, the blond then looked at his companion. "If you're right to finish up things here, I'll go find her. Who knows what she's doing."

Laughing, Natsu nodded as he started stretching. "Yeah, get out of here. I got this guy sorted."

Grinning, Naruto then nodded and ran out of an open side door.

XxXxXxX

Following his nose, Naruto came to a rainwater drain. Wondering what Lucy could possibly be doing in there, Naruto looked around and spied her face down with Everlue sticking out of the stone wall, his hands firmly wrapped around her slender arms.

"Come on then little girl, tell me the books secrets! Tell me or your arms go snap!"

Despite withering in pain, Naruto had to hand it to her when she turned around and stuck her tongue out defiantly. Grinning, the blond decided enough was enough.

Jumping to the wall, Naruto began charging down it towards the oblivious Everlue. Reaching him within a matter of strides, Naruto reared back a foot and brought it through powerfully, connecting with the fat man's face solidly. Blood and a few teeth squirted into the air as Everlue was sent spiralling back into the far end of the room. Hitting it solidly, the man then slumped down it, completely knocked out.

Dropping down beside Lucy, Naruto knelt down and checked her over. "You alright?"

Nodding, Lucy winced as she tested her wrists. "Yeah, a bit sore but I'll be ok soon enough."

Naruto grinned when he heard that. "Good. A pug like that man shouldn't be holding you like that, only me."

"N-Naruto!"

Chuckling, the cheeky blond just winked at her. "Kidding, I'm kidding! But seriously, that should have been me."

Glaring up at the teen, Lucy pulled herself to her feet. "I'll be ignoring you now."

Not listening in the slightest, Naruto leant over her shoulder to look at the book. "So why'd you run away? You find a secret in there or something?"

Sighing, Lucy nodded. "Yes, I think I found something. We can't destroy it now because it directly relates to the client I believe."

Turning to look at the boy, Lucy found him playing with Happy. Bristling, Lucy stamped her foot. "You could atleast have the decency to listen to my answer when you ask me a question!"

Suddenly, Naruto dived at her and tackled her into the ground right as a human sized ball shot right over the top of her. "What the hell was that?"

'Hmmm, soft.' As Naruto tackled the girl to the ground, her body had shifted and he landed with his face right in the middle of her breasts. Reluctant to pull his face from there just yet, Naruto waited until he heard another rumble that signified the ball returning. Sighing, the blond then pulled his face out and looked up at the unimpressed girl. "That was Everlue. He turned into some ball and tried to body check you."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Well thank you so much for protecting me. What would I ever do without you?"

Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto helped Lucy up. "Well, if I wasn't here you'd probably be dead right now."

Suddenly grabbing her again, Naruto flipped into the air as his passenger screamed out in fright. Sticking to the roof, Naruto looked down to see that he had narrowly avoided the Everlue ball again. Growling, Naruto dropped to the floor as the man exploded from the roof right beside them. It was time to finish him off.

XxXxXxX

_Yeah, I was going to finish the omake this chapter, but I am SO dog tired I just can't be bothered. Check the ending next update._

_Lanky Nathan_


	25. Chapter 25

It was three days since Erza and her friend's decision to remain at the resort in memory of Simon and thus far everything was going perfectly. There had been no unexpected visits from anyone, no fights (outside of Gray and Natsu trying to kill each other), no property destruction, no nothing.

The majority of the group was now down on the beach sunning themselves or playing in the gentle swell of the ocean. The only one not partaking in the relaxing was Naruto, having snuck away while no one was watching to a secluded little spot behind the resort. Looking around, Naruto established he was alone before reaching into a pocket and withdrew a small, rolled up note.

Quirking a smile, he dropped it beside himself before raising his thumb to his mouth and breaking through the skin with his teeth. Flicking through a set of well rehearsed hand seals, the blond slapped his hand down on the ground with a cry of, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)**!"

Pumping a vast amount of his chakra into the technique, Naruto stepped back as a sizeable amount of smoke went up. Waiting for it to clear, Naruto grinned when he saw a little toad sitting before him looking a little confused.

Waving at it, Naruto knelt down. "Hey there little guy, can you understand me?"

Croaking, the little amphibian nodded. It seemed it couldn't speak but that wasn't too much of a problem. Reaching out, Naruto grabbed the note he had written and passed it to the small summon. "Alright then, I really need a big favour from you. Can you see that this note gets to Ma and Pa? It's pretty important they then pass this onto the Hokage. Do you think you can do this for me?"

Croaking again, the little toad did its best to salute while holding the comparatively sizeable note. Grinning, Naruto then reached into his pocket and pulled out a grub. "Thanks heaps for that. Here, take this as a reward."

Eyes widening happily, the toad smiled and snatched it from Naruto's fingers with a flick of its tongue. Trying to salute again, it then disappeared with a puff of smoke, note and all.

Smiling happily, Naruto pushed himself to his feet. Reaching his arms to the sky, Naruto stretched until he felt his back pop. Shivering, he dropped his arms and turned to face the footsteps drawing near.

"Naruto? Where'd ya go?"

Raising an arm, the blond teen called out. "Over here, just finishing up."

Walking into view came Cana, the tall girl raising an eyebrow as she spotted her target. If there was one thing Naruto could confidently say he loved about this place was the beach. Not for the swimming exactly, but for the incredible bikini's the girls all decided to wear. Cana was currently wearing a simple, matching two piece set that did very little to hide what made her a lady. That seemed to be the trend too with all the girls wearing just as little, or in Lucy's case, even less. Averting his eyes slightly as not to get caught, the blond waved.

Smirking, Cana crossed her arms under her bust and stopped. "What are you doing out here? We were all looking for ya."

Grinning, Naruto scratched his head as he stepped forward. "Well, you found me! Why, what's happening?"

The brunette threw a thumb over her shoulder. "The attendant brought down some food and we all knew you'd be interested."

Grinning, Naruto slapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. "Damn right I am. I'm starving."

Rolling her eyes, Cana turned around. "When aren't you? Come on then, let's get back before Natsu eats it all."

Hearing a growl, Cana then had to grab her hair as Naruto shot past her as he sprinted for the beach. "He better save me some! I want my food!"

Shaking her head, Cana sighed and began following at a more leisurely pace, the indignant shouts of the warring teens already reaching her ears.

XxXxXxX

Another two days passed easily enough since Naruto sent his note on its way. He hadn't heard anything of yet but the blond wasn't too fussed. It was probably gonna take a little while for the note to reach Tsunade anyway. Besides, the vacation had been fun. As it was though, this was the last day that Erza's group could stay, their tickets expiring the next morning.

Naruto could have comfortably stayed longer but truth be told he was beginning to miss Mirajane a bit. It wasn't like he was going to stay when the others couldn't either so in the afternoon of the final day, Naruto found himself sitting out on the balcony overlooking the ocean. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, Naruto closed his eyes in peace. Yeah, this break had definitely been warranted.

Hearing the apartment door open, the blond turned to see Cana strolling in. Spying her male roommate, the girl smiled and wandered out. Scruffing his hair fondly as she passed him, the brunette dropped into a nearby chair and cast her gaze over the ocean. Each sat in silence for a few more minutes before Cana finally began speaking. "Thanks for bringing me along on this. Honestly, I have really enjoyed it."

Grinning, Naruto kicked his feet out to rest them on the edge of the railing. "Eh, no problem. It'd be boring coming by myself anyway so it was good you could come."

Rolling her eyes, Cana just nodded and let the noise of the waves in the distance sooth her mind. Both teens then fell silent for a moment longer; Cana closing her eyes tranquilly. The girl couldn't remember a time when she had felt so relaxed without the prolonged use of alcohol. Granted she was still drinking it by the jug load here, but it was more out of habit than to try escape the endless noise of the guild.

Cracking an eye open, she looked over at Naruto when she heard him start to move. "So what are you gonna do tonight?"

Opening both eyes, the girl shrugged and raised both arms above her head. "I'm not sure. Guess go make a nuisance of myself somewhere. What about you? We still haven't been on that 'date' yet either."

Nodding, Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'm actually out with Erza tonight. I promised her one a while ago."

Raising an eyebrow, Cana smirked. "Oh my, what will Mira think?"

Naruto frowned in thought. "That's the thing, I dunno! She said that it was fine, remember?"

Indeed remembering when Naruto questioned her about that, Cana chuckled. "Well then, you're a lucky guy. You'll have your hands full with her tonight though."

Naruto looked up. "How so?"

Scratching her cheek, Cana looked off to the side. "Oh, she's just an interesting character. Most guys usually run and hide when they think of a date with her."

The blond teen raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't really answer the question you know."

Deciding to ignore it, Cana shrugged. "Oh well, unlucky about that. So, did you wanna go for a walk or something before the night begins?"

Letting it go, Naruto leant back. "Nah, Erza will be round soon. Gotta get ready."

Looking over at the boy, Cana raised an eyebrow. "Rushing are we?"

Naruto chuckled. "Another minute wouldn't hurt."

Hearing a knock at the door, both companions looked over. "Crap."

Chuckling, Cana smirked as Naruto jumped to his feet. "Another minute hey?"

Grimacing, Naruto dashed into the room and grabbed a bag of clothes. "Occupy her for a moment?"

Not giving her a chance to reply, the blond then rushed into the bathroom. Grumbling to herself, the brunette pushed herself off the chair and wandered over to the door. Pulling it open, she was surprised to see Erza extremely dressed up. A long, elegant dress of a most vibrant royal purple covered her slender frame, the front cut low to reveal a portion of her impressive chest. Long, white, bicep length gloves covered her arms and her hair was done up beautifully with a Kogai and Kushi holding her tight bun up high on her head. There wasn't much to comment on in the way of makeup, maybe a little bit of lip gloss, but her natural beauty on its own was easily enough to make her look absolutely stunning.

Smiling as she saw Cana, the lady dipped her head slightly. "Good evening. I was wondering if Naruto was ready?"

Giving her guild partner another look over, Cana couldn't help but whistle. "Wow, you sure went all out! Is this place really that fancy?"

Humming non-committedly, Erza looked around Cana. "So is he ready?"

The brunette shrugged. "Eh, nearly. Still stuffing about in the bathroom. Wanna come sit while ya wait?"

Smiling again, Erza nodded and walked forward. "That would be nice. The balcony?"

Not really given the option, Cana shut the door and wandered after the red-haired beauty as she settled herself on one of the chairs. Dropping down beside her in a much less dignified manner, Cana sighed and unconsciously tried to grab at a nonexistent spirit flask. "So what are you two gonna get up to tonight?"

Smiling serenely, Erza shrugged. "I am not sure. I hope Naruto has something pleasant planned for us both."

Nodding, Cana chuckled. "Mira seemed pretty happy with whatever they got up to."

Looking over with a little more than simply passing curiosity, Erza narrowed an eye carefully. "Can you tell me what they did exactly?"

Realising she was under scrutiny, Cana began sweating a little. "Oh, I'm not sure cause I wasn't there, but I saw them up on the guild roof and they seemed pretty content..."

Turning to face her fully, Erza's eyes focused on the now fidgeting brunette. "Where... where they holding hands or anything?"

"Eh..." Looking around for an escape, Cana unfortunately found none. "Well... Naruto was hugging her and stuff... why?"

Finally letting up with the paralysing glare, Erza sat back into her chair and looked down at her hands as she began twiddling her thumbs. "Oh... I just didn't know what to expect or do... I haven't... been on all that many dates."

Now understanding the situation, Cana sighed in relief. "Oh, there's nothing to worry about! Just go with the flow. If you or him wanna do something, then just do it."

Nodding hesitantly, Erza then cast an eye over to Cana. "What was your date with Naruto like then?"

"Eh?"

Leaning in eagerly, Erza smiled a little. "You know, that date he owed you or so I was led to believe? I think Lucy passingly mentioned it."

Cana blinked. She hadn't breathed a word of it so Naruto must have gone and bragged about it. It wasn't like she could blame him though, had it been the other way around Cana would have been crowing it from the roof. "Well, truth be told we haven't been on it. It isn't a real date either. He just said he'll buy me a good feed."

Frowning, Erza seemed to run the information over in her mind before looking back up at Cana. "May I request of you something?"

Pursing her lips, Cana eyed up the unpredictable woman. "Shoot."

"I was wondering if you might like to come along? I believe this would be the best way to kill two birds with one stone. If you are there, I can follow your lead and you can get that meal you desire out of Naruto." Grinning happily at her plan, Erza leant back. "What do you think?"

Cana raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought this was your night."

Erza shook her head. "I wouldn't mind. Having someone else there would only make it more interesting."

The brunette then shivered as a memory came forth. "What about Mirajane though? Wouldn't she be a bit annoyed?"

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Erza leant back. "What makes you say that?"

Cana shivered again. "I was joking around with Naruto before we left and she got all dark and scary about it, like she didn't want me or anyone else for that matter hanging around him."

Shaking her head, Erza chuckled. "You must have been seeing things. For I asked Mirajane if it would be ok if I dated Naruto for a night and she had no problems with that."

Cana looked up at the woman incredulously. "Seriously? She said that?"

Erza nodded. "Not a word of a lie. So, will you accompany us?"

Falling silent, Cana considered her options. On one hand, she was still scared of Mira. On the other hand though, this presented her with a nearly unlimited range of things she could do to potentially embarrass the hell out of Naruto.

But then, there was Mira. However, she did want to make up to Naruto for giving her this great getaway and a sexy girl on each side of him would only make him feel better.

But Mira...

Shaking her head, Cana threw caution to the wind. She wasn't ever really a thinking type of girl. The chance to play with Naruto's mind was too good an opportunity to pass up so why the hell not. Grinning, Cana pushed herself to her feet. "Just let me get changed."

XxXxXxX

Naruto couldn't help but smile as he walked down to dinner. Everywhere he was getting looks from men and women alike, staring as he walked past them. The men looked positively jealous while the women... he didn't really know _what_ that look meant, but it looked pretty surprised, also with perhaps a hint of jealousy.

"You seem to be turning quite a few heads, Naruto."

Looking down to his left side, Erza was looking up at him confidently, one arm gently intertwined with his own as he guided her towards the dining room. The blond raised an eyebrow. "You don't think having you by my side isn't helping that?"

Hearing a laugh, Naruto looked over to the other side. "Well, it might, but having us both is probably a bigger reason."

Cana was smirking at him, a delighted twinkle in her eye at how many women seemed to be blatantly staring at her.

When Naruto had stepped out from the bathroom, he automatically drenched both women in a wave of chakra as he made sure what he was seeing wasn't an illusion. Erza was the living representation of grace while Cana was more than dressed to kill.

The taller brunette seemed to have a bit of makeup on in the form of some soft, silver eye shadow which matched her long, (extremely) figure hugging midnight blue dress. The most impressive part of it however was that Naruto could tell the only reason she could get away with wearing the strapless style was because her chest was large enough to hold the dress up. She had a set of gloves on that matched Erza's except that hers were a velvety black instead of white. Her hair was much the same as always, it just looked a bit more combed and perhaps straightened.

Looking at the two girls, Naruto couldn't help but feel a tad underdressed at the simple black, button up shirt and slacks he had on.

Either way, both girls were complete knock outs and when Naruto was told that they were both going to dinner with him, the teen was indeed knocked out cold.

It didn't take long to rouse the blond however so letting him lead them, they made their way down the stairs and into the current moment in time they found themselves.

Wandering into the fancy restaurant, the three had absolutely no problem finding a prime seating position. Their orders were taken quickly and the food had to have been brought out in record time. Smacking his lips as he looked down at the delicious plate of steak, Naruto rubbed his hands together joyously. If this is how people served you when you had two girls with you then Naruto wasn't going anywhere unaccompanied from now on.

Naruto then jumped in surprise and lashed out a hand to catch the waiter's wrist as he touched the blond's lap for some unknown reason. Glaring down at the hand, Naruto was about to shout at him when he noticed two other waiters doing the same with the girls. "Naruto, let him go. He was placing a napkin on your lap."

Looking aver at Erza, the blond managed a sheepish laugh before releasing him. "Ah, sorry. I can do it myself."

Trying to ignore the waiter rubbing his wrist tenderly, Naruto dropped the small paper towel onto himself and began digging in.

The meal itself went pretty well with Cana mostly in hysterics at Naruto's outrageous antics, Erza even being forced into a refined amount of laughter more often than not. Noise and food went everywhere as Naruto did everything short of getting up on the table and dancing. The other patrons around them were divided, either disgusted at the undignified behaviour or struggling to eat as they were laughing so hard.

Once the meal was over, things turned from food and poking fun at what was on their plates, to impossibly exaggerated stories of the blonds past. Stories of him painting the headstone of his village in an array of clashing colours and words, right through to him knocking out his teacher with his patented sexy technique, which he just so happened to model for them again.

Needless to say, a great number of men needed to be carried back to their rooms after that.

Eventually, the group was asked to leave so the restaurant could try regain some form of dignity again. They accepted easily enough and the trio began wandering through the great halls of the magnificent resort without too much direction. For all the attractions and other bright entertainment places, the three of them ended up drifting outside and down to the beach.

Breaking away from the girls, Naruto ran ahead and spread his arms out wide as he continued telling them a story of his past. "...and I swear, he must have done the world's biggest fart cause the walls of the room literally shook! I was like, 'Dude, how could you push out that mush air at once?', and he was like, I dunno, stop asking, it's not funny, even though when clearly it was. I mean, the whole academy must have been laughing. Seriously the best memory of my entire time there."

Cana had all but fallen over at this point and Erza was covering her mouth delicately as she tried to stifle the giggles. "Honestly Naruto, is this really the kind of thing you should be talking about with two ladies?"

Grinning, Naruto raised an arm behind his head. "I didn't think it'd matter! Girls do it too, so you should be able to relate!"

Hearing a bark of laughter, Naruto looked over to Cana as she sat cross legged in the sand. "Speaking of that, this time with Erza-"

"Cana..."

Seeing the fierce look she was getting, Cana realised just who she was with and swallowed what she was about to say. "Uh, yeah, story for another time."

While she wasn't looking however, Naruto dashed in and scooped the red-head up in his arms. Squealing in shock, Naruto laughed and spun her around a bit. "Lighten up Erza-chan! The night is going great, we're having fun, let your hair down!"

Smiling despite herself, Erza raised an eyebrow. "As you wish, Naruto."

She then twisted around in a surprising display of agility, wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck before planting her feet firmly onto the ground and chucking Naruto into the waves. The blond managed a surprised cry before he disappeared in a splash. Exploding up from the water a second later, Naruto spluttered about before locking eyes with the girl who threw him. "Oi, what was that for?"

Laughing, Erza smirked. "You merely requested me to lighten up. I believe playing in the ocean is included in such a suggestion."

Grinning, Naruto held his palms out. "That just means you have to come in too then!"

In a burst of chakra, Naruto fed a powerful blast of air into the water, sending a far reaching wave over both women on the beach. Bursting out laughing, Naruto held his stomach as twin screams reached his ears, both girls now properly saturated.

"Oh that is it!"

Dashing into the water, Naruto was caught off guard as Cana slammed into him and knocked him clean off his feet. Seconds later, Erza hit the both of them and sent them flying several meters out into the ocean with her impressive strength. What followed from that had to be the most aggressive water fight ever to occur on the beach of the Akane Resort.

XxXxXxX

Now looking up at the stars from the badly eroded beach, the three adolescents sat side by side as their clothes dried off to the side. Naruto was in a vibrant orange pair of boxers, Erza was in her black bra and undies while Cana had nothing but a towel wrapped around her, courtesy of Erza. While two of the members present were able to dry themselves almost instantaneously, it was a bit unfair to Cana to be the only one left drenched so all three agreed to dry off the old fashioned way.

It was just an excuse to talk more anyway.

As it was, Cana and Erza were pointing out the star constellations to Naruto and giggling as the blond struggled to see it. Cana was currently pointing out one such group. "Can't you see Capricorn? Those two stars there represent the horns; that's the back, there's the legs and then there's the arms!"

Crossing his arms, Naruto focused up at the sky, his eyes thinned as he tried to see what was being pointed out. "I can sorta see the head I think... the rest of it just looks like a ramen pot."

Sighing, the brunette dropped her arm and shook her head. Everything seemed to come back to ramen for some reason.

Dropping back, Naruto rested his head on his hands and began running his eyes across the endless sky. Hearing a hum beside him, Naruto looked up to see Erza gazing down at him. "Is this sky different to your sky back home?"

Nodding, Naruto let his eyes trace a pattern across the stars. "Yeah, like super different. It's pretty crazy actually." Raising a hand, he pointed to nine stars and traced a stylised 'M' shape through it. "I mean, that there almost looks like the village symbol for Kusagakure. Three blades of grass."

Looking down at him curiously, both ladies expressed their interest at the foreign word. "Kusaga...kure?"

Sitting up, the blond explained. "Uh, well I suppose it translates as 'Village Hidden in the Grass'. Each of the hidden villages at home had a symbol that represented the village."

Eyebrows raised at the new found knowledge, Cana leaned in. "So what was yours?"

Smiling fondly in remembrance, Naruto pointed at his head. "You know that headband I always wear around?" Both girls nodded. "Well, that was my village symbol. A leaf."

Pushing, Erza cocked her head slightly. "So what was its name?"

Looking to the stars, Naruto grinned. "Konohagakure. Or 'Village Hidden in the Tree Leaves'. That's my home."

Looking to the stars with her companion, Erza sighed gently. "Hidden in tree leaves? It sounds beautiful."

Turning to look at the girl, Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah, it sure is! There's the Hokage Monument, all the houses and buildings and stuff within a big, protective wooden defence wall and then outside that is nothing but greenery as far as you can see! It's so pretty... was so pretty..."

Nodding slowly, Cana looked over at Erza. "Well I'm not sure about you, but I'd like to visit there sometime."

Frowning slightly, Erza looked at the now quiet blond. "Was?"

Smiling sadly, Naruto nodded. "Yeah... just before I came, I fought this guy called Pein. He destroyed my village completely. It was just a massive hole in the ground when I got there."

Gasping, Cana furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "Oh no, that's terrible!"

Shrugging, Naruto managed a happier grin. "Yeah, a bit I guess, but everyone was alive despite that so I don't mind. We can build it again."

Feeling an arm wrap around his shoulders, Naruto turned a surprised eye to Erza. "So that's where you got those wise words from when you were talking to Natsu."

Naruto didn't follow. "Huh?"

Shaking her head, Erza reminded him. "Back when the guild was destroyed, Natsu wanted to go beat up Phantom Lord just for that but you managed to persuade him not to with words much like that."

Remembering, Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

Pulling him in for a tight, one armed hug, Erza smiled gently. "Still, thank you for that. You saved us a lot of problems. It is sad to hear your entire village was destroyed though. You are blessed to have such strong optimism."

Feeling another arm snake around him, Naruto felt a head rest itself on his shoulder. "You seem to have had it kinda tough, haven't you?"

Naruto shook his head and looked out over the ocean waves. "Maybe, but I always had amazing friends there who stood beside me no matter what." His mind then drifted as he thought of his childhood friends from back home. Seeing them alive and well within his mind, Naruto grinned widely. "Yeah, they're the best. We can do anything together!"

Feeling both girls shuffle in close to him, Naruto looked down as skin touched exposed skin. "And I'm sure they're very lucky to have you there too. Now come here, I'm sitting here in nothing but a towel and it's cold."

Chuckling, Naruto reached out and wrapped an arm around each girl to help keep them warm. Silence fell over the three as they then just sat and watched the ocean roll in deep into the night.

XxXxXxX

The following day found all members of the little getaway packed and ready to leave by about ten am in the morning. Wally, Shou and Millianna didn't have all that much seeming everything they did have had been destroyed on the Tower of Heaven, so they were left standing at the front door as they waited for everyone to clear out.

Erza was the first to greet them, the mage dragging along an enormous suitcase absolutely packed full to bursting with clothing and other items she had bought during her stay. That being said though, it was still a smaller amount than what she usually took out with her on weeklong missions.

Natsu and Gray came next, the only reason they hadn't arrived first due to the scrap they had fallen into on the way down the stairs. Happy floated over them chirping gaily about fish and other unrelated things, clearly pleased to be going home.

Lucy and Cana followed behind them, each girl taking their time as they were reluctant to leave the luxurious apartments that had been their homes for the past week. Their actual suitcases weren't that cumbersome surprisingly, despite Lucy being a massive shop-a-holic and Cana being caught up in her whirlwind of energy more times than once. It seemed the girl had some form of restraint.

Lastly came Naruto, the blond grumbling all the way while lugging along a number of bags filled with clothing and other items Lucy had made him buy. Finally dropping them before the group, Naruto turned a glare on the blond girl and pointed at the number of bags at his feet. "You realise this is your fault? Why did you make me buy so much stuff anyway?"

Huffing indignantly, Lucy waved about an arm. "Well dah, we all know you'd have spent all your money on food and nothing else! I had to make you get some souvenirs, else you would have gone home without a single memento of the trip."

Kicking one bag, Naruto motioned at the pile. "Yeah, but _all_ clothes? I don't even have any space in my storage scroll to hold it all!"

Shrugging, the girl crossed her arms and looked away. "Well if it's such a pain, just throw away all our hard work finding them. There's a bin over there."

Naruto snorted. "Are you kidding? I must have spent... a butt load of jewels on all this stuff! There ain't no way I'll waste it."

Smiling, Lucy spun around and reached out to pat his head. "Well stop grumbling and enjoy the company I could give you while we were here. You should be happy you had such a sexy girl helping you shop."

The blond ninja rolled his eyes. "Did it ever occur to you I may have just wanted to spend time _not_ shopping with y – damnit Millianna!"

Said girl had latched onto him like a magnet again, her beaming face looking up into Naruto's eyes innocently. "But you're my Kitty-kitty! I'll never let you go."

She then ducked her head into his armpit, signifying the end of the conversation. Sighing defeatedly, Naruto just gave up and looked around as Erza took a head count. "...Naruto... Millianna and Lucy. Alright, all here. Make sure you don't leave anything behind because we will not be turning around to come back. Now load up."

Pointing to a massive SE sitting behind her, the red-head proceeded to throw her mighty suitcase into the boot of the thing before climbing up into the driver's seat. Rushing forward, Naruto threw his stuff in next before taking his seat on the roof. "Kitty, don't you wanna sit inside?"

Naruto glanced down at the girl with a flat look. "I thought you knew Erza. You can sit inside if you want."

Shaking her head, the girl just gripped him around his chest tighter and muffled something into his shirt. Understanding it was probably something along the lines of, 'I don't wanna let you go', Naruto resigned himself to the long trip home and readjusted her grip on him so she wouldn't slip and grab something else.

XxXxXxX

"Woooooow..."

Standing in awe, the group looked up at the enormous new structure before them. Soaring stone pillars stretched up into the air, ornate decorations rimming the edge of a number of baloneys. Three mighty levels sat atop one another, the top two having what looked like battlements fitted into them. It seemed the Master was keen on making sure something like what happened to cause the guild destruction didn't happen again. The lower floor seemed to be the main place of rest for all the mages as it was extensively furbished with a great number of chairs and tables for well over a hundred occupants.

Looking up, the group observed two thick towers standing guard at the entrance, elongated windows running the length of them and the tips capped off with matching weather vanes. From these ran a spiked stone wall that encompassed the guilds perimeter to prevent any intruders getting in through the back. Standing proud over all of that then was an open room, a massive tapestry with the guilds symbol stitched into the fabric hanging from the front of the structure. Within that open room then sat a massive steel bell that just looked like it was itching to be rang.

While the former guild looked more like a pagoda in design, this new architectural wonder was more like a miniaturised castle and looked every bit as proud and strong as the real thing.

"They actually managed to finish it?"

Ignoring their luggage for the moment, the small group wandered into their impressive new guild, eyes going everywhere. A pleasant new open area cafe was set up with a western theme in mind, umbrellas sticking up from the tables to provide shade.

Naruto nearly giggled in delight when he saw a lovely orange umbrella and instantly called dibs on it. That was his table from now on.

"Hey guys, you're back!"

Looking over the group saw a plain looking man resting on the bench top within a brand new shop. "A goods shop? Who would have guessed!"

Wandering over, the man smiled a greeting to the group. "It's good to see you all back safe and sound. How are you liking the place?"

Smiling approvingly, Erza crossed her arms under her chest and hummed. "It is quite the change up. I rather like it. Was this little stall your idea though, Max?"

The mage shook his head. "No, the Master decided to set it up to help cover costs when these two –" he pointed at Natsu and Gray " – go and destroy something again. Surprisingly though, it has been going _really _well."

Laughing, Gray just crossed his arms and looked over at Natsu. "You'd wanna get a pretty big account set up for this guy. I wouldn't be surprised if he destroys something today."

"Oi!" Brought back from his open gaping at the new guild, Natsu turned to face his arch nemesis. "Wanna say that again, puddle boy? I'll kick your ass three ways into next week!"

Instantly rising to the challenge, Gray levelled him with a withering gaze. "Please, you couldn't even tell me what day next week begins."

That was all it took for Natsu to pounce him and within seconds they were verbally and physically abusing each other on the floor.

Ignoring that mess, Happy floated onto the bench top as he looked around eagerly. "This place is great! What kinda stuff do you sell?"

Motioning to a packed wall behind him, Max shrugged. "Oh, the usual merchandise stuff, mugs, wristbands, shirts, towels, plates and figurines. The most popular thing however is this."

Reaching under the desk, Max pulled out a miniaturised Lucy, cast in an action pose with one of her gold keys held high. Squeaking as she heard this, Lucy dashed forward and snatched it from Happy's paws. "Don't go and make these kind of things without asking me!"

Ignoring her protest, Max grinned at the group. "Naturally, all clothing is removable. Here, watch."

Pulling out one of his own, he then pressed a button on her foot that instantly had the dolls outer garments flying everywhere, leaving it in nothing but a rather revealing two piece bikini. The girl it was modelled after shrieked in horror while Happy gave it a once over. "Oh, that's pretty sexy! Natsu, what do you think?"

Displaying the doll to the teen, Natsu shrugged. "Eh, it's ok I guess. I've seen the real thing before though so it isn't as impressive."

Walking up, Naruto looked it over. "Hmmm, it's ok I guess. Not too accurate though, the bikini should be briefer."

"Naruto!"

Ignoring the distressed girl, Erza cast a speculative eye over it. "Hmmm, that's true. Lucy usually reveals much more than that."

"Not you too Erza!"

Thoroughly humiliated, Lucy covered her bright red face with her hands and began mumbling something about sexual harassment. She didn't remove her hands either when Natsu reached out and grabbed her arm to drag her along inside the guild.

Inside, the group once again looked around in awe at the new splendour of the guild. A massive room was laid out before them, a raised platform surrounding the border before stepping down several steps to the main dining hall. There were something like eighteen massive tables lined up in rows of three, each capable of seating up to eight people.

Running down the center of the room was a carpeted walkway, the grass green giving the room a very natural feel to it. Towards the front of the room though was now the main attraction. A sprawling stage took up most of the wall, beautifully decorated drapes and curtains hanging from the awning. Whistling as he observed over the place, Naruto couldn't help but look extremely impressed.

"It's so lovely! What an amazing job!" Looking over at Lucy, Naruto guessed that the splendour of the place had managed to pull her from her embarrassment as she gazed out over the shiny new room. The comment itself was extremely warranted though as all the mages that had pitched in to help complete the guild had done a fantastic job.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" Hearing Gray address his fellow teen, Naruto turned around. The mage had his face buried darkly into his scarf, his arms crossed and generally looked displeased. "It's too different."

"Naruto! Lucy! Welcome back!"

Turning his gaze from the troubled mage, Naruto looked over and a grin split his face as his eyes rested upon a certain blue headed girl he hadn't seen in a while. "Levy! How are you? All better?"

Giggling as Lucy rushed at her and lifted her into the air with a hug, Levy nodded. "Yup, all better! So what do you think of the new guild?"

Naruto only had to nod along as Lucy voiced all his thoughts. "It is spectacular! Everyone has done such an amazing job, I can't even believe this place was completely destroyed only a week or two ago!"

Giggling again, Levy nodded. "Awesome right? Down stairs we now have a games room, out the back we have a pool and the biggest change of all, the second floor is now available for anyone to ascend to!"

While the main group was shocked that the second floor was open, Naruto was more focused on the prospect the newly built pool could hold. That could prove to be the place to hang out from now on.

"Hello everyone! How was your escape? As manly as possible I do hope?"

Hearing the bellowing voice echoing across the room, Naruto looked up to see Elfman standing up on the second floor waving down at everyone. Returning the wave, Lucy nodded happily. "Well, not manly perse, but still really good!"

Sighing at Elfman's speech quirk, Levy shook her head before continuing. "You still have to be an S-Ranked mage to take one of those jobs though so don't think you can just take one." The girl pointedly glared at Natsu who remained oblivious, still looking around the guild unhappily. "It's not the same."

Hearing a throaty chuckle behind them all, the group then turned to see Makarov looking up at them all. "So you finally decided to come home, you stupid lot? Back to torment me further I suppose, and with other people to boot."

Smiling widely, Erza stepped forward and motioned to her three awed friends. "Yes, please allow me to introduce my friends, Wally," The rubix cube of a man stepped forward and tipped his hat, "Millianna," the girl offered Makarov a shy wave, "and Shou." Smiling hesitantly, the dirty blond dipped his head in greeting. "These three are dear friends from a long time ago. They have come home with me to help with... with the burial of Simon."

Nodding understandingly, Makarov sighed. "It is never good to bury a loved one. I can only offer you my sympathies and pray that you made peace with him before he left. On that note though, I received a letter from the council indicating they will be sending him over later today."

Widening her eyes, Erza blinked in surprise. "How did they know we'd be back today?"

The old man shrugged. "What do I look like, a soothsayer? Those old fogies have methods in place I neither know, nor want to know of."

Smiling gently at the strange old man's humour, Erza nodded. "Indeed. Well, I guess we will have a bit of down time before all that."

Humming gently, Makarov them moved to the side. "Speaking of new members, please meet Juvia Lockser."

Stepping forward, Naruto blinked as he recognised the girl he had caught snooping around the guild. There had been some subtle changes to her appearance since then too. While still partial to blue, she now had a form fitting vest on that was edged with white, a big, frilly white skirt sticking out from underneath that that came down to her knees. It had a blue wave pattern around the hem that matched the vest nicely, along with a little blue, brimless hat that had white extensions sticking up from the edges. Her hair had also been changed up somewhat, the once bountiful curls that had graced her shoulders now cut short in a stylish spiky haircut. Finishing off the look were a pair of long white gloves that reached right up to her biceps and tied off with a little blue ribbon.

The guild master chuckled as she curtseyed. "Cute, ain't she?"

Sending the group a wide smile, she bowed her head slightly. "It's good to see you all again!"

Grinning in return, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to join aye?"

Stepping forward, Erza offered her a warm smile. "I just wish to thank you again in regards to Akane."

Blushing slightly, the girl's grin widened further. "I was just helping you all. I'll continue to do my best however!"

Raising a hand, Lucy offered her support as well. "That's great! You'll do just fine here."

For some reason, the girl suddenly darkened and glared dangerously at Lucy. Wilting under the malicious gaze, Naruto watched as Lucy sweated it out. He hadn't realised Juvia had been at Akane so he nudged Gray for information. "What did she do? Spit in Juvia's breakfast?"

Gray just shrugged. "I have no idea. She seems to just hate her for some reason. Pretty weird if you ask me."

"GAH!" Twisting his head over to see where the sound came from, Naruto saw Juvia looking absolutely heartbroken after hearing Gray's last sentence. Glancing between the two, Naruto began grinning mischievously. This could prove to be fun.

Either ignoring or not noticing the hostility between the two females, Makarov carried on. "There's also one more person. Speak up, would you?"

Hearing a disobedient grunt from one of the tables, the group looked over and gasped in shock. Growling fiercely, Natsu jumped forward and raised a fist high. "What the HELL are you doing here huh? You looking to get your ass thrashed again?"

Narrowing an eye slightly, Naruto sat back and waited for this to play out. The Master clearly had a solid reason for letting _this_ guy join up, so the blond was willing to hold off from any hasty conclusions. As for Juvia, the girl jumped up and stood before the aggressive mob. "No, don't fight! Juvia brought Gajeel here!"

Hearing something grinding, Naruto looked over to see Erza gnashing her teeth together in fury. "Juvia was one thing, but this man was directly responsible for the destruction of the guild!"

"Calm yourself you rowdy bunch. Isn't there a saying that goes something like, yesterday's enemies are today's allies?"

Hearing a small voice off to the side, most of the mages looked over to see Levy cowering behind a table, the girl shaking but trying to keep her voice steady. "Y-yeah, honestly I don't mind him being here at all..."

Brushing past a protective Juvia, Natsu stomped up to the table and slammed a hand down in front of the mage. "Like hell I'll accept this punk in our guild! I could never work with him!"

That finally managed to rouse a reaction from the otherwise silent man and he turned to glare up at Natsu darkly. "Oh, no problem there. I'd never want to work with some two bit mage either."

Pushing Natsu out of the way, Gajeel stood up. "I needed work, this dump was providing, so I thought why the hell not. Make no mistake; I ain't here to make friends."

"What did you say, bastard?"

Trying her best to calm everyone, Juvia had her hands raised as she desperately tried to salvage the situation. "P-please, Gajeel always looked so lonely, so Juvia couldn't bear to watch him suffer alone!"

Finally speaking up, the Master scratched his small moustache indifferently. "Well, it is the job of us older folk to help guide younger men back towards the right path if they've taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. He ain't that bad... or atleast, I hope not." Muttering that last bit to himself, Makarov didn't notice Erza pick up what he said.

Narrowing her eyes, Erza didn't comment on that but instead decided to offer her support. "Well, if the Master believes it to be ok, I back his decision." She then turned to look down at him. "However, I would strongly suggest having everyone keep a very watchful eye on him for the time being."

Sweating slightly, Makarov nodded conceding. "Yeah... sounds like a good idea. Let's go with that."

Hearing Erza and the Master reach an agreement, Natsu (for once) decided to be the bigger mage and walk away. Watching him pass, Naruto chuckled as he overheard him grumbling about how he didn't like this new place and its new members.

Suddenly, the lights flicked off and left the entire guild standing in pitch black. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Naruto looked over to the stage as it slowly lit up revealing Mirajane sitting on a stool. Grinning widely, Naruto waved at her. "Mira-chan! We're back!"

Waving in return, the girl smiled. "I know, welcome home!" Lowering her hand, she then plucked a few strings of the guitar Naruto noticed sitting in her lap. Speaking into a weird airborne microphone, she then addressed the number of mages in the room. "Now that we are all home safe and sound, I'd like to sing a little song as a housewarming for everyone."

Watching as she plucked a few more strings, Naruto grinned as he heard a few encouraging calls ring out from several other mages across the room. It seemed they had all been eagerly expecting this. Settling himself down at the nearest table, Naruto felt the familiar jarring thump of Millianna attaching herself to his side, Wally and Shou joining him either side. Making themselves comfortable, the guild then lit up in the colours of Mirajane's beautiful music.

Closing his eyes as the sounds washed over him, Naruto smiled softly as the guitar gently sang along in harmony to Mira's own voice, the lilting notes and chords drifting lazily through the room. Feeling his muscles relax, Naruto couldn't but help imagine the girl sitting right beside him and gently running her hands through his hair.

Actually, that was probably Millianna petting him again, but he could pretend.

About halfway through the song, Naruto began detecting the sound of someone snoring, obviously put to sleep from the soothing melody. Realising it was Natsu; the blond reached out and weighed up a mug in his hand before pelting it at the mages head. A fleshy thump reached his ears as Natsu toppled off the table, knocked out cold. That problem taken care of, Naruto turned to look back up at the beautiful girl on stage.

The rest of the song went off without a hitch and when the final chord was strummed, the guild went up in a chorus of cheers and whistles. Adding in his own noise to it, Naruto cupped his mouth and cried out happily. Beaming a smile in his direction, Mirajane took to her feet and bowed deeply.

"That was awesome! Who's up next?"

Thoroughly agreeing with whoever said that, Naruto leant forward keenly as he waited for the next act to present itself. What he didn't expect however for the curtains to draw back and reveal Gajeel in Mirajane's seat holding a jagged looking guitar. He had also changed into a white suit, complete with a white hat and black shades. "What the hell?"

Having recovered from the blow to his skull, Natsu jumped up and pointed an accusing finger at the man. "WHAT? GET OFF!"

Completely ignoring the shocked and somewhat horrified look, Gajeel strummed the guitar experimentally and leaned forward into the mic. "This is a song I wrote called 'Best Friend'. Listen up, morons."

Blinking, Naruto sat back, not really sure what to expect next. "He's certainly settled in fast."

Suddenly a hail of attacks began pouring in in the forms of mugs of beer, old bottles and food. "Get off the stage; as if we'll listen to you!"

Ignoring the attacks, Gajeel began. His grating voice sounded out over the speakers, an odd tune reminiscent of a jazz composition reaching everyones ears. Understandably, the guild was divided as to whether or not they liked it. Elfman was near in tears he found it so manly; a number of the older men also crowing their support. Juvia was standing high on her feet too, for all the world looking like one of those love struck groupies that forever haunted Sasuke's nightmares. Naruto also found he didn't mind the tune too much, but the voice seemed a bit harsh for his liking.

The rest of the guild however found it a little outside of their tastes. They showed their displeasure via hurling more rubbish at the cool mage; Gajeel still resolutely ignoring their attempts to boo him off. Even the occasional wooden mug that smacked into his face didn't cause the man to hitch in the slightest.

Holding his ears in pain, Natsu glared up at Gajeel indignantly. "This has got to be the worst thing I have ever heard! Even a fart would sound better!"

For some reason, that was enough to cause a rise from Gajeel and with a mighty throw, the mage on stage hurled the guitar straight into Natsu's face with a resounding thump. "YOU WANNA FIGHT?"

Both men then leapt into the air, equally powerful leg kicks smashing into each other and cancelling the opposing force out. From there, the two mages fell into an energetic wrestling match that kicked up an incredible amount of dirt as they rolled across the floor. A number of spectators that found themselves in the road were viciously thrown out of the way by the two as they fought.

From there, everything went downhill.

Natsu collected a mug to the face and instantly blamed it on Gray. Jumping to his feet to defend his innocence, he bumped Erza and made her drop an absolutely delicious looking piece of cake onto the floor. Not a moment later, Elfman dropped a mighty foot into the desert and promptly killed it.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back and not a moment later, the mighty man was sent soaring through the roof via an even mightier kick from a visibly crying Erza. She then proceeded to rampage through the guild in a tantrum of epic proportions, effectively silencing several mages in a single swipe of her arms.

Laughing off to the side, Naruto struggled to catch his breath as tables and humans alike were thrown through the air, enraged screams and cries of pain filling his ears as the entire room dissolved into one massive cage fight. Cowering behind him were Erza's three friends, all staring out at the horrendous mess in a kind of fearful awe. Swallowing, Wally pointed over Naruto's shoulder. "D-does this kind of thing happen often?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, from time to time. It's pretty entertaining."

Feeling a hand on his other shoulder, Naruto looked over to see Shou visibly shaking in fear. "H-how can you say that? It's like a war zone out there!"

Letting out a bark of laughter, Naruto grinned at them. "Awww come on, it ain't that bad once you get into it! Here, go check it out!"

Reaching out faster than they could avoid, the blond grabbed the two horrified mages before hurling them straight into the main ball of bodies. They were instantly swallowed up by the writhing mass in a howl of terror.

Bursting out laughing, Naruto barely registered Millianna pounding away on his back, nearly in tears. "How could the Kitty-kitty do something like that! They were my friends! They could get killed!"

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "Nah, they'll be fine! No one ever gets seriously hurt."

Clamping down on him in her usual strangle hold, Millianna tried to draw strength from her kitty as she worriedly looked into the mess. Raising an eyebrow, Naruto chuckled. "You really that scared for them?"

The girl nodded anxiously. Suddenly, she screamed in fright as Naruto's hand whipped up to catch a flying mug that was barrelling in towards her face. Taking that as a challenge, Naruto reared back his arm and brained the mage who accidentally threw it. "Ha! We can't let that go! Time for some payback and to find your friends!"

Howling her disapproval, Millianna's fingers nearly punched holes through his top as the excited blond jumped into the fight with a scream of joy.

XxXxXxX

A few hours later, Naruto was sitting cross legged in the middle of the completely ruined hall, fading bruises covering most of his face and arms. Millianna and her two male friends were sitting beside Naruto, each was glaring at the beaming blond as they tried to convey just how angry they were at being so violently roughed up. It bounced off Naruto harmlessly however as Natsu ran up, the boy all bubbles and energy again. "Yeah, that was awesome! This is how I remember the place!"

Grinning, Naruto high fived him. "I know right? You sure got a good hit in on Gajeel too! I thought you knocked his jaw off!"

Grinning bashfully, Natsu scratched the back of his head. "Awww shucks, you know I tried my best."

They then burst out laughing, oblivious to the horrified and slightly disturbed gazes they were receiving from Millianna and her group. Gray then wandered up, the teen in nothing but his boxers and looking extremely proud of himself.

Allowing a moment of chivalry between guild members, Natsu thumped Gray on the back. "Ha, you didn't suck too bad out there, I saw you thump Juvia pretty good! I didn't know you had it in ya!"

Raising an eyebrow, Gray looked around to see Juvia laying face up on the ground, out cold but for some reason looking incredibly happy with the bruise rising on her cheek. Shrugging, the near naked teen turned and grinned. "Heh, you didn't do too badly either I guess. I can't believe you tried to tackle the Master though!"

Turning to look down at the still grinning blond, Natsu shook his head. "That was nothing, I can't believe Naruto actually took on Erza head first! And WON!"

Chuckling as he looked over at the female sized hole in the wall, Naruto scratched his cheek. "Awww, it was nothing, I just got a good shot in on her while she was raging."

Laughing, Natsu shrugged. "Who cares? You actually managed to knock her _out _of the guild!"

Smirking, Naruto just tipped his head to the side and said nothing. At that moment though, the battered guild doors opened and revealed Erza. Walking in calmly, Naruto grinned as he noticed the numerous bruises on her face. "You alright?"

Shaking her head, she disregarded the question. "Natsu, Gray, would you be so kind as to leave us for the moment? I have something I need to talk with these four about."

Looking down at Naruto, each teen just shrugged and began walking out; Gray collecting a few articles of clothing on the way. It wasn't their problem if Naruto was about to get 'disciplined'.

Waiting until they had completely left and closed the door, Erza let out a sigh and visibly shrunk. "I'll just cut straight to it. The council is here with Simon's body and are ready to bury him."

Instantly the life drained from the room and Naruto's smirk vanished from his face. Frowning, the blond nodded as Shou spoke up. "S-so we need to come right now?"

Nodding gravely, Erza held out a hand to help them up. "The sooner the better. Come, let us get cleaned up before we head out."

XxXxXxX

Now dressed in a respectful black, Naruto stood back as Erza and her friends stood over the deep grave as four council knights lowered the large coffin into the ground. The occasional sniffle reached Naruto's ears as the four of them struggled to contain their emotions. He could almost hear the warm tears hitting the earth as they stood there, nature apparently realising something was amiss and for once was dead silent.

Kneeling, Erza held out the small bunch of flowers in her hands and managed a small smile before letting it drop onto the lid. Millianna, Shou and Wally followed suit, dropping various items of mourning onto the simple box. Reaching out, the powerful woman brought her friends in around her in a comforting circle, her hands and arms touching each of them in some form of reassurance.

A soft thump from within the hole signified the coffin touching down and one side of the guards let go of the ropes before pulling them out. Stepping forward, the small group of four looked down at their last glimpse of their old friend.

"I... I'll miss you Simon..." It seemed Millianna didn't register her knees giving way beneath her, her slender body needing to be caught by Shou as her hands slapped to her face and soft sobs filled the air.

Gently lowering her to the ground, the rest of the group kneeled around her, the tears falling a little more freely; the emotions running a little more wild.

The sandy thump of dirt hitting wood made the group look up as the knights began filling in the hole solemnly, the rhythmic beat of dirt on wood signifying the end of everything. Slowly, the hollow thumps were muffled out to the simple sound of dirt landing on top of dirt.

With one final shovel full, a guard gently patted the small mound down with the back of his shovel before sighing. Turning to face the grieving group, he nodded at them. "If that is all, we will leave you now in peace."

No response was given except the sound of Millianna's sobs increasing in volume. Taking that as their leave, the group of four men turned and walked away, their job here done.

Watching from behind, Naruto stood as still as he could as he tried to give the small group as much privacy as he could. Actually, the only reason he was here was because he helped bring Simon back. Smiling sadly, the blond dipped his head and turned to walk away.

"Naruto."

Pausing, he looked over his shoulder and saw Erza gazing up at him. Smiling reassuringly, the teen shook his head. "This is your time with your friends. You can find me later, but for the moment I'll leave you be."

Unresolved emotions flashed through the red-heads eyes but she nodded hesitantly all the same. Smiling again, Naruto turned and began the short walk back to the guild.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Hmmm, dark. I haven't written a burial scene before._

_I also hope I managed to convey the emotions properly through that last scene. Death and burial scenes are tricky to be written tactfully without over describing parts, so I really hope I succeeded there. _

_To everyone who has been asking about the triplets, I'm really sorry but I mucked up my timing so unfortunately they will have to wait another few chapters. Rest assured though, they will come back._

_Anywho, omake time, part three._

**Omake**

Naruto and Lucy were stuck dodging the veritable human cannonball that kept ricocheting from wall to wall around them. More than once they were smacked with flying debris and as much as it galled Naruto, he had to spend so much time trying to protect Lucy that he couldn't seem to get a good shot in on Everlue.

Finally taking a breather from his incessant attacks, Everlue skidded to a stop in front of Lucy and Naruto. Finally being able to see the man, Naruto growled and pointed a finger at him. "What is wrong with you? Freakin' crazy man, what ya trying to do, bring the room down on all of us?"

Indeed, the underground room was groaning ominously as its structure was sufficiently destroyed by Everlue. Frowning in return, Everlue pointed at Lucy. "Inconsequential! That blond bimbo has something of mine and I want it back!"

Tucking the book down into the valley of her breasts, Lucy whipped out a gold key that was attached to her hip. "Well you'll never get it back! This book is for our client so just roll over and play dead! **Open, gate of the crab! Cancer!**"

A doorbell chimed from nowhere as Lucy's magic exploded out from her in the form of an ice blue ring filled with small glyphs and strange characters. A bright gold light shot out from the middle of the magic seal, the ball growing rapidly in size until a full sized human with crab accessories stood before them. Snipping the odd scissors in his hands, he turned around and flashed Lucy a cool look.

Happy was absolutely spell bound by the incredible sight, the little cat hopping from one foot to the other as he drooled slightly at the thought of crab. "He's a crab! That means he has to say 'crab' after everything he says! I know he will because he's a crab! That's the rules! Don't ask me about them, I didn't make them because I'm just a little cat, but it's the truth! The crab has to say 'crab'!"

Carrying on like that, Naruto couldn't help but look at the strange being with a form of hunger brewing in his stomach. He hadn't eaten in a while and the sight of the humanoid crab has his tummy rumbling. Well, granted he was more human than crab, but still.

Frowning, Naruto cupped a thoughtful hand to his chin. Cancer looked human, but then he clearly wasn't because he had crab legs sticking out of his back. So would it matter too much if he had a quick nibble? It wasn't cannibalism because he wasn't fully human... so because he was part crab, would it make it crabibalisim? It was close to meaning the same thing, but not quite. He wasn't too sure so the subject definitely required more thought.

Heedless of the hungry looks, Cancer smirked and snipped his scissors at Lucy. "How would you like your hair done today... shrimp."

Even if you had you tipped a bucket of cold water over Happy, you couldn't have achieved the same horrified expression he had when he heard Cancer say that. Ears flat and tale drooping, Happy waved a dismissive paw despondently. "A crab that says 'shrimp'. What a failure. Not even Natsu is this bad when he tries cooking. Send him home Lucy, I can't stand the sight of him."

Grinding her teeth together audibly, Lucy did her best to ignore the infuriating cat. "Cancer, please take note of the situation at hand and realise this ISN'T really the opportune time for a haircut. Turn around and have a look at that fat mess behind you. See him? Yes, kick his ass."

Witnessing her power, Everlue swallowed. A celestial spirit wasn't something he could deal with by himself. Reaching into his pocket, he whipped out a key of his own. "I need your help right now! **Open, Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!**"

The doorbell chimed from nowhere again and suddenly the earth beneath Everlue exploded upward, that absolute behemoth of a woman that attempted to squash Natsu earlier roaring into view. "You called, Master?"

Pointing an angry finger at Lucy, Everlue nodded. "Damn right I did! That ugly creature has stolen my book! Get it back!"

"Ugh... where the hell am I?"

Gasping in absolute disbelief, Lucy and Everlue both started up in shock as Natsu climbed over from behind the spirits back. Virgo seemed oblivious to him as Natsu held his head and took a seat on her broad shoulder. Pointing a shocked finger up at her companion, Lucy struggled to find the right words. "N-N-Natsu, how on earth did you get here?"

Groaning again, the boy looked down at her. "Stuffed if I know. I just saw her running through the house, jumped on her and suddenly 'poof' I was here."

Nearly ripping her hair out, Lucy began staring off into her own little world. "A human passed through the spirit world. A human actually managed to pass through the spirit world! That's impossible! Natsu, you are impossible! You just did the impossible! That shouldn't be possible. What are you –"

Cutting off her ranting, Natsu struggled to keep his footing as Virgo began bucking around. "Lucy, quit freaking out and tell me what to do!"

Regaining her senses, Lucy shook her head and pointed at the spirit he was perched on. "Melt her!"

Grinning widely, Natsu nodded. "Roger!"

Inhaling an inhuman amount of air, Natsu puffed his cheeks out before spewing red hot flames down all over the spirit. "**Roar of the Flame Dragon!**"

That taken care of, Lucy extracted a lengthy whip from her belt and lashed it about. "And you Mister I-Love-Ugly-Girls, don't you move! I think you've had enough time burrowing about!"

Skilfully striking out, Lucy wrapped up Everlue so quickly the man didn't even have enough time to think. Struggling to hold him there, the girl looked over to Naruto. "Damnit, don't just stand there, take him down!"

Glancing over at the fat man, Naruto grinned widely. Time to get even for making him jump about like a grasshopper. Taking off in a burst of speed, Naruto reared back a leg and smacked a mighty kick into Everlue's body. Crying out in pain, the home owner shot off toward the wall like a bullet. Unaided by his magic however, this time he bounced off the wall and rebounded toward the back of the room. What followed was the man pinging around the room like he was trapped inside a pinball machine, complete with dinging sound effects and everything courtesy of Happy.

When he finally came to rest, Happy let out a cheer and raised a paw. "New high score! Four hundred and fifty million! Please enter your initials."

Naruto snickered. "Ok, I want A-S-S. Got that?"

Nodding brightly, the small cat recorded the score. "Alright! ASS has the top score, followed by ASS in second place, ASS in third, ASS in fourth and finally ASS in fifth!"

Lucy turned a flat look toward the still snickering boy. "You play that game a lot with Happy, don't you."

Naruto shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face. "Yeah, and you should hear the top ten scores. I convinced Natsu that FAG stood for Flames Always Grow."

Lucy could almost smell the immaturity in the air. A deep groan filled the room before she could say anything though and with panicked eyes, turned to see Natsu hovering around Cancer sniffing him experimentally. "Natsu! Enough of that! This place is about to cave in so GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

"Right!"

Scooping her and Happy up in his arms, the mage turned to see Naruto holding a tightly packed ball of blue energy in his hand. Grinning, Naruto ran in front of them. "Just follow me!"

XxXxXxX

Now outside the house, Naruto, Natsu, Lucy and Happy were treated to the sight of the massive Everlue mansion sinking into the earth as its foundations gave way. Laughing brightly, Natsu clapped Lucy solidly on the shoulder. "Holy crap, well done! You completely destroyed this place!"

Turning a mortified gaze to Natsu, she tried to squeak out something when Happy interrupted her. "Yeah, you did great! As expected of a Fairy Tail mage."

Stamping her foot, Lucy felt the blood drain from her face in fear. "N-Now listen here, I had nothing to do with this!"

Laughing, Naruto slung an arm around the girl and pulled her close. "Awww come now, don't be bashful. You deserve just as much credit in the destruction as the rest of us!"

Tapping the book between her breasts, Naruto then had to dance away as the indignant girl lashed out at him. "Hey, hey, hey, I was just gonna say you did a good job of holding onto it!"

Glaring up at the taller blond, Lucy fixed him with a scrutinising glare. Huffing at his wide grin, she turned and began stomping away. "Natsu, Happy, _Naruto_, let's go. I've had enough of this mission."

"Surrrre."

Dragging their feet along as they followed the girl, Naruto hung back. Quickly transferring a little orange book to his back pocket, Naruto couldn't help but grin.

A quick **Kawarimi (Body Replacement)**, mixed with a discrete henge and a spare clone made for a very warm and comfortable Naruto.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – omake = done. Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted!_

_Onward to the next update._

_Lanky Nathan_


	26. Chapter 26

Leaving the grieving group to themselves, Naruto wandered back to the guild slowly. A rock that lay in his path a way back had become his little ball for the moment. It skipped ahead from the latest kick and Naruto sighed as he slowly caught up to it.

While not really all that well acquainted with the guy, Naruto still felt the loss through Erza's suffering. Kicking the rock again, Naruto couldn't help but think of the perfect world free of death, pain, anguish and all of those undesirable things. What a world that would be.

Kick.

If he could get his world to something like what this one was however, the blond would have to consider that a victory. Minor scraps are nothing compared to the massive fights currently found all too frequently through the Elemental Nations, so even being able to get villages in general to get along would be a massive step towards Jiraiya's dream.

Kick.

The proof was in the pudding though, so seeing Earthland as prosperous and peaceful as it was gave Naruto hope. Even if there weren't many signs of unity back home yet, the fact this world in another dimension had achieved it mean it was completely possible. Now that was a thought that brought a smile to Naruto's face.

Kick.

On the topic of home though, Naruto remembered he still had yet to tell anyone about the scroll he had recovered. That was pretty important so that was the first thing he had to do when he got back. Evening was approaching quickly though so if Naruto was to catch Makarov before he left, he'd have to pick up the pace.

Giving the small rock one last solid kick, Naruto began jogging back into Magnolia.

XxXxXxX

"OLD MAN! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Grumbling to himself, Naruto looked around. The guild was in yet another fight and the noise was deafening. Trying to spot a man that barely pushed three feet in height amongst numerous flying bodies was a massive task. Ducking under one hapless mage, Naruto weaved past two more before pushing himself up to the main bar. Looking along the bench, he spotted Mirajane and waved. "Mira-chan! Oi!"

Blissfully unaware of the blond's desire for her attention, the barmaid just continued to clean a dirty dish happily. Dropping his hand, Naruto batted away a stray mug flying through the air and squeezed himself through a gap between mages. Pulling his leg free from the tight space, Naruto hopped backwards a few times to catch his balance before finally dropping into a seat right in front of Mira. "Hello!"

Not expecting the surprise arrival, Mira jumped a bit. "Naruto! Where did you come from?"

The teen sighed and pointed out the door. "I was with Erza and her friends. They needed some time alone so I came back here."

Smiling sadly, Mira nodded understandingly. "Ah. Fair enough."

Nodding with her, Naruto scratched his head. "Yeah... anyway, I was just wondering if you knew where Makarov would be? I need to talk with him."

Grinning, the girl pointed up at the second floor. "He ran away to cry in his office once the fight broke out."

Chuckling, Naruto shook his head. "Yeah, I can imagine him doing that. Anyway, thanks! I'll come talk soon."

Receiving a peck goodbye to the cheek from the wonderful girl, Naruto left her with a smile on his face and a skip in his step. Cheerfully knocking Gray out of the way as he lost the last of his clothing, Naruto walked up the wall to avoid the fights on the staircase. Jumping onto the new floor, Naruto looked about and spotted a tightly barred door.

Wandering up to it, he knocked and waited. "NO! KEEP YOUR FIGHT OUT THERE!"

Hearing the wobbly voice, Naruto chuckled and cupped his mouth to the door. "It's me, Naruto! I really gotta talk with you about something!"

Cupping his ear against the door, the blond waited for what seemed like a good minute before the scratching of a lock being undone reached his ears. Standing back, Naruto looked down and struggled to hide a smirk as a pair of watery eyes peered up at him. "What do you want?"

Naruto pointed in the room. "Can I tell you inside?"

Sighing, Makarov nodded and pulled the door open wide. Walking in, Naruto stifled a laugh as the old man then managed to send a trio of mages flying when their fight came too close to his door. "GET OUT OF HERE!"

Slamming the door closed with enough force to rattle the hinges, Makarov locked the entrance and staggered wearily over to the table. Dropping himself into it, the man looked up at his younger companion and raised an eyebrow. "Well? What did you need to tell me?"

Saying nothing just yet, Naruto withdrew the scroll from his Hokage and presented it to Makarov. Letting the man gaze interestedly at the foreign script, Naruto began. "I got this about a week back while running around for the council. It seems my home managed to send that to me the same way I was sent here."

The fight outside completely forgotten, Makarov traced the symbols with his fingers. "Incredible. I've never seen anything like this."

Chuckling, Naruto pointed to the right hand side of the page. "You're looking at it backwards too. You read right to left."

Humming interestedly, the Guild Master nodded and drew his fingers across it. "So what does it say?"

Leaning back, Naruto began reading what he could from the upside down scroll to refresh his memory. "Well, the usual stuff, stay safe, we were worried and so on. The next part is that they are all doing ok and the village is being rebuilt as we speak."

Looking up at the teen, Makarov gave him a genuine smile. "That is wonderful to hear. And everyone is ok?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup, everyone is doing great. That comes on to the next part." Naruto leant forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. "They are working on a way to get me home also."

Looking up at Naruto again, Makarov narrowed an eye slightly. "Do they know when?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. All I know is that when it happens, it will be really sudden."

Straightening up, Makarov frowned. "Will there be any warning?"

Naruto shrugged. "Probably not. It all depends on when they work out the technique needed to get me back. For all I know, they could summon me home right now as we speak."

Considering what Naruto said for a moment, the old man sighed and leant back into his chair. "So your time here is pretty limited now?"

Naruto nodded. A Makarov said those words, a small lump seemed to rise in his throat. He really didn't wanna leave everyone just yet. "Y-Yeah. I have no idea when I'll go home, but it will more than likely be sooner rather than later."

Humming, Makarov shook his head. "Well, I'm not about to say my goodbyes just yet, but I can think of a few people who'd like to know of this. Namely, Mirajane, Natsu and the rest of that little group you've managed to click with."

The blond looked up in thought. "Yeah... I still have a bit of time before then though."

Reaching out, Makarov cuffed him unexpectedly. "Oi!"

Meeting his eye, the old man didn't bat an eyelash. "That's for thinking about putting it off. You need to do it and soon. Within the week at the very least."

Grumbling, Naruto rubbed his head and glared back. "Yeah yeah, I know. Quit stressing old man."

Chuckling, Makarov nodded. "Good. Now, unless you have anything else you wish to discuss, I'll let you go."

Shaking his head, the teen wrinkled his nose as he thought. "Nah, that's it."

Walking to the door, Makarov open it, kicked several mages who'd gathered around it out of the way and motioned for Naruto to leave. "In that case, I'll leave you to it."

Passing the mage, Naruto stopped as he felt a hand grasp his pants. "Oh, and if you could possibly stop this fight somehow I'll treat you to all you can eat from the bar."

The old man had no idea what he had gotten himself into.

XxXxXxX

Fifteen minutes later, the guild was completely empty save for Naruto and Makarov as the blond devoured nearly all the food they had stored.

Watching the food disappear into the bottomless blond, Makarov couldn't help but think that maybe letting the mages wreck the place would have been a cheaper alternative to feeding Naruto.

XxXxXxX

The following day, Naruto and Mirajane found themselves in the middle of a catch-up and conversing generally about everything that had been happening while the blond was absent. Nothing too dramatic had occurred though, so most of the time was spent with Naruto dictating the events that transpired at the Tower of Heaven. Naturally some parts were slightly exaggerated but that was to be expected.

Nodding and giggling at his usual boisterousness, Mira sighed in relief once all done. "Wow that sounded just incredible! You really had to put in the hard yards hey?"

Naruto thinned his eyes and nodded sternly, arms crossed to compliment the look. "I sure did. Dunno what they would have done without me."

Reaching out as the barmaid stood, she patted Naruto on the head and smiled. Collecting the cups on the table, she paused before leaving to refill them. "I'm sure they greatly appreciate all your hard effort. I would if I was them! So what did you want to drink now?"

Leaning back, Naruto shrugged. "I dunno. Surprise me!"

Giggling, Mirajane nodded as she turned. Indulging himself a bit as he watched her backside walk away, Naruto grinned and nodded. "Yeah, just another reason why she's the Fairy Tail cover girl. Very nice."

Hearing a bodily thump beside him, Naruto turned and accidentally inhaled his spit as he saw Elfman drop into the chair. Coughing several times, the blond struggled to clear his lungs as the massive man just chuckled. "I see you are rather taken by various aspects of my sister."

Coughing again, Naruto nodded through the tears. Why bother lying when you were caught red handed? "Yeah, I can't say she doesn't have a nice bum. Does that worry you?"

Shaking his head, Elfman shrugged. "As her brother, I do feel a protective rise within me, but as a fellow man I can understand your masculinity. You have also shown considerable restraint when it comes to her looks too, unlike the Master."

Laughing, Naruto remember the many times he spotted the old lecher harassing one of the many attractive ladies that were a part of the guild. "Eh, he's got a good heart. Funny as a fight watching him crack onto the women though."

Nodding amusedly, Elfman scratched his head. "Can't argue with you there. Now..." Leaning in, the massive man's face contorted to one of extreme anticipation. "Who are you most interested in seeing at the upcoming Miss Fairy Tail Contest?"

Naruto blinked. "What's that?"

Widening his eyes, Elfman sat back. "You don't know what it is? Even with you being one of the manliest men in the guild?"

Naruto shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

Grinning wide, the man reached out and clapped Naruto solidly on his back. "Well then, don't I have a treat for you!"

Reaching into his shirt, he withdrew a piece of paper and pointed at the details. "All the women of Fairy Tail interested in participating will be competing for a prize purse of five hundred thousand jewels! The way to win? Be voted the sexiest female mage!"

Having moved right in beside Elfman, Naruto's eyes shone in delight as he sucked up a stray strand of drool. "How could I have not heard about this? This is awesome! Awww damn, there's Cana, Lucy, Erza, hell, Juvia and maybe even Levy who can enter! Plus who knows how many others there are I haven't met yet!"

Swinging a large arm around his smaller companion, Elfman laughed heartily as Naruto held the advertisement up close to his face. "So what do you think?"

Naruto slapped the paper down on the bench. "I think this will be the best day I've ever had at the guild. When's it on?"

The giant pointed at a little date in the corner. "I believe that is tomorrow."

Grinning wide, Naruto snatched up a fist in delight. "Hell yes! No waiting either!"

"What are you boys doing all huddled over like that?"

Looking up, the two saw Mira walking back with a cup in each hand. Grinning unabashedly, Naruto held out the paper slip. "Elfman just made me aware of the awesomeness that is the Miss Fairy Tail Contest! Can't even begin to describe how excited I am."

Giggling, the girl placed Naruto's drink down and slipped into the seat beside him. "I'm not surprised. Will you be cheering for me?"

Naruto snorted and raised an amused eyebrow. "You bet your sweet ass I will be. I can't wait to see what you dress up as!"

Wrinkling her nose, Mira reached out and poked Naruto's forehead. "And like everyone else you'll just have to wait and see!"

Rubbing the spot, Naruto looked over to the man on his other side. "Do you know what she'll be wearing?"

Elfman shook his head. "No, but even if I did I wouldn't tell. It isn't manly to give away secrets like that."

Pouting, Naruto glared harmlessly at the large man. "Fine then. Be that way."

Rolling her eyes, Mira reached out and scruffed up Naruto's hair. "Oh come now, don't be like that. It's not long now."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah... oh, that reminds me."

Standing, he created a clone. They exchanged a salute before it ran off to do its bidding. Sitting back down, Elfman stared at the blond suspiciously. "What was that?"

Blinking innocently, Naruto pointed in the direction of his clone. "You mean that? I just forgot to do something and I'm not about to interrupt our talk for that."

The ivory haired man narrowed his eyes and pointed at Naruto. "I'm watching you. If you pull a prank like you did on us like you did on those guards, there'll be hell to pay."

It seemed like Elfman had a good memory. Raising his hands disarmingly, Naruto chuckled. "No, no, nothing like that today. It was just something – oi! Natsu! Lucy! You lot!"

The blond interrupted himself as he saw team Natsu coming back from a simple day mission a bit early. Waving them over, he motioned for them to take a seat. Reaching the chairs, Natsu suddenly dropped down into the seat Lucy had just pulled out for herself. "Natsu! What are you doing? That was mine!"

Snorting, the boy looked up at his teammate with a grin. "On ya feet, loose ya seat. Find another one."

Smacking the boy for good measure, Lucy slid in beside Erza as the rest of the group got settled. "So what did you need us for?"

Ignoring the question for a moment, Naruto looked around. "Just waiting for a couple of other people. I'll tell you then."

They didn't need to wait long however as Cana wandered into sight, closely followed by Levy, Jet and Droy. Seeing the blond, they all grinned and waved. "Naruto! What did you want?"

"Grab a seat and I'll tell ya."

Frowning a bit at the vague response, the four extras sat down and waited. Now that more or less everyone was here, Naruto reached into his shirt and pulled out a scroll. Tossing it to Levy, he chuckled as the girl let out a joyous scream when she realised what it was. "Naruto! Where did you get this? I didn't know you had a scroll on you!"

Nodding, the blond looked at his friends. "Well, that was actually sent to me a while back. Can you understand it, Levy?"

Pouring over it furiously, the girl shook her head. "Not just yet... give me a moment."

Nodding, Naruto continued. "I'll tell the rest of you then. That came from home, my home. They managed to send it to me and long story short, they're working on a way to get me home."

Hearing this, Erza smiled gently. "That is fantastic news. When do you think you will return?"

Naruto scratched his cheek and chuckled awkwardly. "Eh, that's what they don't know. They are just working it out now so when it activates, there will more than likely be no warning."

Looking up from peeking over Levy's shoulder, Lucy blinked. "So, how will you go back exactly?

Naruto had a quick think before explaining. "You know how my clones explode?"

The group nodded.

"Well, much like that. It's called a reverse summon and I'll be pulled back to my world in a puff of smoke."

Blinking, the blond girl swallowed. "T-That fast?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Looking down, the teen seemed a bit lost for words. "Oh..."

The rest of the group seemed to clue on pretty quickly to what that meant too and the mood seemed to drop. Natsu was the only one who had no idea what was going on so looked around in confusion. "Eh? What's so bad about that?"

Levy decided to explain for the boy as best she could. "It means... it means that we won't get to say goodbye before he goes."

"Oh." Looking up at his blond rival, Natsu raised an eyebrow. "Will you come back?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, I really want to. I just need to find a way."

Raising his arms behind his head, Natsu looked over his depressed friends. "So what's the problem? He'll come back eventually. It's just like going on a really long mission."

A bit frustrated with his lack of concern, Levy looked over at the mage incredulously. "But what if he can't come back? What then?"

Natsu looked up at Naruto. "That reverse summon thing. Could you just reverse-reverse summon yourself back?"

Pursing his lips, Naruto considered the option. "Uh... maybe? I don't know enough about seals and stuff to do something that complex yet. I can try though."

Making a face, Natsu shook his head. "Don't bother then."

Catching a wack across the head from Erza, Natsu's head went though the table with a loud crack. "Natsu! That's a horrible thing to say! Apologise!"

Rubbing the massive lump, he looked around in confusion. "What? I was gonna say just get Levy to do something with her runes instead but then you hit me!"

Eyes widening in surprise at the astute suggestion, everyone turned to look at the named girl. "Would that be possible?"

Now under the spotlight, Levy fumbled around in her hip pack awkwardly. "Uh, I suppose so? I'd have to try giving Naruto something to anchor himself to through inter-dimensional travel and have a base point for him to bring himself back to..."

Not really understanding, Natsu looked around cautiously. "So that was a good idea?"

A powerful arm suddenly snaked around his head and slammed it into an iron clad breast with a solid clang. Whispering, Erza struggled to hold the tears back. "I'm so sorry Natsu. I shouldn't have hit you like that for risk of making you lose that rare good idea. I do hope you can forgive me in the future. Please, hit me as hard as you like."

Natsu wasn't really in a position to hit anything after the concussion he received, so Gray was taking advantage of Natsu having slumped to the floor and was currently resting his muddy shoes on his back.

Seeing everyone relax somewhat, Naruto sighed in relief. "Good. Now that that's sorted, I – OOF."

Toppling off his chair, Naruto looked up from his position on the ground to see Millianna straddling him. Grinning, he reached out and rubbed her hair. "Hey! How are ya?"

Grinning up at him, the girl seemed to purr. "Good! We just got back from lunch and I saw Kitty-kitty so I just had to jump you!"

Currently enjoying the affection, Naruto chuckled and wrapped his arms around the girl. "Awww I wuv you too!"

Squealing in joy, the cat obsessed teen buried her head into his neck. The moment didn't last long however as both adolescents shivered as a wave of displeasure rushed over them. Pulling her head out from under Naruto's neck, Millianna came face to face with a deceptively pleasant Mirajane. "Hello?"

Smiling, Mira bowed her head slightly. "Hello to you too. Mind telling me what you're doing on top of Naruto?"

Grinning widely, Millianna nodded happily. "This is my Kitty-kitty and I love him and he loves me! Do you love him too?"

Grinning mischievously, Naruto looked up at Mira from his position on the floor. "Do you, Mira-chan? Do you love me?"

"Oh, I didn't realise this was a challenge." Kneeling down, the barmaid then did something extremely out of character. Leaning in, she grabbed Naruto's face and kissed him deeply, effectively stunning the group into silence. "There, that's how much." Standing, she dusted her dress down and then walked away, humming happily.

All eyes were targeted on her back as she left, not a breath leaving anyone's lungs. When she disappeared from sight, the curse seemed to break and the group let out a collective breath. Chuckling awkwardly, Cana leaned into Erza and nudged her side. "What do you think, old Mira is making a comeback?"

The mage didn't reply, her eyes stretched wide, lips pulled tight and steam whistling from her ears as she heated up. Turning her gaze to Naruto, she licked her lips and called out hesitantly. "N-Naruto?"

"Hmmm?"

Visibly turning red, Erza stuttered a few time before managing to get out, "D-Did that feel nice?"

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto stared at the overheating mage before grinning. "Oh yeah. Definitely worth trying once or twice in your life."

Composing herself, the mage pulled herself to her feet, raised a fist and looked up towards the sky, a competitive gleam in her eye. "Alright! Mira has just set the standard and I for one do not want to fail it!"

Swallowing nervously, Levy looked up at the impulsive mage. "Uh, what challenge?"

Smiling back down at the girl, Erza pointed at Naruto. "This display of 'love'. I know Mirajane well enough to know when she puts out a challenge. I will not lose! As such, I have preparations to make."

Striding away, Naruto watched her feet disappear through the gate. "Naruto..."

Glancing up, he saw Natsu had some to. "What was that?"

Looking back down, Naruto shrugged. "I dunno."

Shuffling closer to Naruto, Natsu held a hand over his mouth and spoke hushedly. "So... it was as good as you said?"

Naruto's eyes twinkled. "Hell yeah. Why, you looking at Lucy?"

Lighting up a bit, Natsu looked away. "Maybe... you said it's awesome so why wouldn't I?"

Nodding sagely, Naruto reached out and placed a hand on the teens shoulder. "In that case, if you need any pointers getting that far I'm here to help."

Overhearing the mumbled conversation beneath the table, Cana couldn't help but chuckle at the boys. Sipping from a reserve flask she always kept close, the girl moved to stand up. "Cana..." Looking down, she saw Lucy staring up at her, a light blush on her cheeks as well. "When you said 'old Mira', what did you mean?"

The tall brunette pointed at Naruto who had still yet to get up. "You saw what she just did with Naruto? That was exactly the kind of thing she used to tease all the boys with when she was younger. Not kissing exactly, but crude comments that left everyone speechless."

Turning her eyes toward the guild doors, Lucy frowned slightly. "She... she used to do that?"

Cana nodded and wiped her chin. "Oh yeah, all the time. To tell you the truth, she's gotten a little boring since becoming a barmaid. It's good to see a little bit of her old flare back."

Staring back down at Naruto as Millianna took to tickling him, Lucy bit the inside of her lip. "I just hope she doesn't change too much."

XxXxXxX

Following that strange encounter, Naruto had been pulled from the guild by Levy, the girl intent on extracting more information from him about the scroll. It had been tricky escaping from Millianna's grasp but they had managed. Walking into the brightly lit streets, Naruto couldn't help but look around as everything seemed to be getting a makeover. Passing a number of tents being set up, Naruto finally had enough of just speculating. "So what's with all the stalls and stuff? There some special thing happening I don't know about?"

Turning to look over her shoulder, the girl leading him cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't know? This is the Harvest Festival!"

Naruto nodded absently as he kept peering at the numerous attractions. "Oh. I was wondering why there was a Miss Fairy Tail contest all of a sudden."

Giggling, Levy steered Naruto to a shaded bench and sat down. "Of course you'd be interested."

Snorting, Naruto crossed his arms as he dropped down too. "Dah! What hot blooded male could resist?"

Snickering, Levy pulled the scroll open before her. "Oh, maybe Master Bob? He seemed to like those whisker marks of yours."

A shiver of disgust ran down Naruto's spine as he remembered the overweight leader of Blue Pegasus. "Don't ever mention that creature's name around me. I'm still having nightmares."

Giggling at his discomfort, Levy decided to ease his pain and wriggled in as close to Naruto as she'd dare. It'd be easier than having him lean over to help.

Dragging her finger across the first line, the girl frowned and tried reading the scroll. Listening to the butchered language, Naruto had to give it to her. No clones to help with learning as well as limited access to any written material and yet here she was still doing so well.

It wasn't long before Levy started giggling as she read the scroll. Looking up at her partner, she held a hand to her mouth and stifled another burst of laughter. "You really must be tormenting whoever wrote this on a daily basis if the familiarity of these words is anything to go by."

Quickly glancing at the first few lines, Naruto sweat-dropped as he saw the chewing out Tsunade-baachan gave him. Coughing into his hand, Naruto raised an innocent eyebrow. "Oh, she just says that stuff when she gets worried."

Smirking, Levy sent him a sly grin before getting back to it. "Sure she does."

A few more minutes passed as the girl tried to read the scroll. Several times she needed a fair amount of help translating a paragraph but all in all it wasn't too bad. Setting her brain into multitask mode, Levy began asking a few questions about the people in the scroll. "So who's this Kakashi fellow?"

Grinning, Naruto raised his hands to the back of his head and slouched down into the seat. "That's my teacher or _sensei_ if you wanna use the right word. He helped me while I was younger with learning the basics of chakra control."

"Oh?" The girl did a good job of sounding interested despite not looking up. "What's that? The basics I mean."

Naruto's eyes drifted to the tree they were sitting under. "Walking on walls, that was the first big one. After that was water walking, but I had a couple of other teachers help me with that one. From there, that gave me the grounds for flying."

Now that caught the girl's attention. Snapping her eyes up, she openly gaped at him in disbelief. "You can _what_?"

Raising his eyebrows, Naruto clicked his fingers. "That's right, you didn't know! Yeah, I can fly now."

Holding his hands out a bit, the blond then demonstrated by lifting off the seat several feet. Landing again, he laughed at the amazed look he was receiving from Levy, as well as a number of people around them. "Pretty cool hey!"

Shaking her head, Levy went back to reading the scrolls with wide eyes. "You are impossible."

Chuckling, Naruto just scratched his cheek. "Eh, I could only do it because I saw Erigor do it."

Levy didn't say anything more about it but the slow shake of her head said enough. Continuing reading, Levy made slow progress through the rest of the note until she came to the part about Naruto being reversed summoned home. Letting out a small sigh, she let the page droop in her grasp. Thinking things over, the girl finally looked up at an expectant Naruto. "So... you really will just disappear like that?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. There's nothing I can do to stop it either."

Sinking slightly, Levy chewed her lip. "And no warning?"

Sighing, Naruto reached out and placed a hand on her head. "No, no warning either sorry."

Nodding under his hand, Naruto looked down at her in concern before the girl suddenly grabbed his arm and held it. "I don't want you to go back! Not yet!"

Not quiet expecting the outburst, Naruto stared for a moment before realising he should probably say something. "Uh, I'm not going _yet_ you know. I was also told to have a holiday here too so that will probably extend things more."

Rubbing her face into his sleeve, Levy sighed despondently. "But it's still not fair! Everyone here loves you and you belong here!"

Sighing, Naruto looked away. "See, this is the reason I didn't wanna get too involved with everyone. It makes it hurt more."

The answer just made Levy grip his arm tighter. "Don't say that! If you did that, you'd never have got to know us the way you did and you wouldn't have joined."

Shaking his head, Naruto pulled his arm from her grasp and placed both hands on her shoulder to make her look up at him. "Oi, focus. I ain't going anywhere yet so why are you so sad? Besides, even when I do get called home I'll still come back eventually."

Blinking away watery eyes, Levy raised a fist to cover her chest. "Promise?"

Grinning widely in return, Naruto nodded. "Promise! And I never break my promises, dattebayo!"

Hearing a crash behind them, the pair looked over to see a tent fall in on itself. Several terrified people shuffled around under the collapsed fabric as they tried to find an exit. Naruto chuckled as they ran around; looking like those crappy sheet ghosts he used to dress up as to scare people in his younger years. Actually, it might almost be time for that old sheet ghost thing to make a comeback. It was fun running around like that for some reason after all. Turning, he reached out a hand to Levy and helped her up. "Come on, better go help them."

Handing the scroll back, Levy nudged him with her hip. "I haven't finished with that yet. You better let me keep looking at it later."

"Yeah, yeah." Trailing off, the pair made their way over and began helping the people out and re-standing the tent.

XxXxXxX

The day of the festival arrived and when Naruto slowly awoke from his perch in a sizeable tree, the blond had to rub his eyes a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Rolling over onto his stomach, he let one leg dangle from the branch as he looked down at the massive crowds that had made their way into the streets.

Children ran excitedly everywhere as attractions drew them like moths to a lamp. Newer parents were easy to spot as they worriedly ran after their kids, desperately trying to call them back close. The general air of everything though was extremely relaxed and laughter filled the air as the festival kicked into gear.

Swinging his leg, Naruto rested his head on his arm and allowed himself a slow wake up. Yawning, the blond rubbed an eye and took his time to turn to the voice he heard call his name. Sleepily looking down, he saw Gray, Juvia and Lucy all looking up at him, the blond girl waving happily at him. Waving back, Naruto yawned as he let himself slide from the branch.

Chuckling as he heard several people scream in fright, the teen caught the underside of the branch with chakra coated feet and casually made his way down the vertical surface. Reaching the trio, Naruto just yawned again as Gray smirked and mumbled, "Show off" under his breath.

Scratching his head, Naruto blinked as Lucy frowned and pointed up at the tree. "Why were you sleeping up there?"

Picking something caught in his hair, Naruto flicked it away and shrugged. "I dunno. I got tired and slept up there. It was pretty comfy actually."

Shaking her head, Lucy looked at the teen incredulously. "You have all this money, yet you sleep in a _tree_?"

Shrugging, Naruto looked around. "I'm a simple guy, living a simple life. So where's Natsu? Shouldn't he be like, I dunno, fighting you or something?"

Gray snorted at the accusing finger and crossed his arms casually. "That bum is still having relapses from eating the Lacrima. Every morning he wobbles all over the place and gets in the road more often than usual."

Hearing a thump, Gray looked over his shoulder and pointed. "See? That's him now."

Peering past the small crowd that quickly gathered around the fallen body, Naruto identified that it was indeed Natsu. Shrugging, the blond turned his attention away. He'd be right. "So –"

Naruto was cut off as a retching sound followed by a few disgusted screams filled the area. Looking over, the group saw that Natsu had gone and sicked up all over the floor. Holding a hand up worriedly, Juvia looked from Natsu to Gray and back again. "A-Are you sure he'll be ok? He looks pretty bad..."

The mage just turned his gaze away. "I don't know him."

If Natsu's best friend thought he'd be ok then who was Naruto to argue? Swapping topics to something much more desirable, the blond grinned and drew the attention of the girls. "So, who's entering the Miss Fairy Tail contest?"

Puffing up, Lucy grinned unabashedly and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Ha! I certainly am! I mean, five hundred thousand jewels... that's rent for seven months! There isn't anything that'll stop me from winning this!"

Ok, one sexy girl dressed in not much for Naruto to look forward to. "Juvia?"

The usually reserved girl was glaring at Lucy from the corner of her eyes, a dark aura floating around her as she eyed up Lucy's posturing. "Juvia must. Juvia cannot afford to lose to Lucy. My rival in love must be defeated first before Juvia can claim Master Gray as her own!"

Blinking, Naruto looked over at Gray who was explicitly _not_ paying attention. Why he didn't want a good looking girl this devoted to him hanging off his arm, Naruto would never know. Not that it really mattered however. It just meant more eye candy for him if anything.

Looking up at the sun, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he realised the time. "So, when does this thing actually start?"

Glancing down at her watch, Lucy let out a squeak. "Crap! Registration is in five minutes! Gotta go, my rent is calling!"

Disappearing in a flurry of skirts and legs, Naruto grinned as he watched her depart. A desperate Lucy could potentially mean more skin. Hearing a grinding noise, Naruto turned to find Juvia positively radiating competitive hate towards the fleeing girl. "My rival in love, I cannot allow you to win! FOR MASTER GRAY!"

Charging off after the first female, Naruto chuckled greedily as he rubbed his hands together. This could prove to be extremely awesome. Glancing over at the still pointedly-ignoring-everything Gray, Naruto elbowed him solidly in the ribs. "So are you excited for this then?"

Shrugging disinterestedly, Gray looked out at the stalls. "Why should I be? I see them all every other day of the week."

Whining, Naruto held his hands upwards in front of him. "But the sexy! Why you no wanna go? Even Natsu is keen!"

He pointed at the teen as he struggled to pull himself towards Fairy Tail. Raising an eyebrow, Gray just shrugged again. "Meh."

Sighing defeatedly, Naruto let his arms drop and turned. "Fine, be a stick in the mud. I'll be sure to let Juvia know you're gay though. Save her the effort of trying to woo you."

Snorting, Gray spin around in shock. "Now wait up one moment!"

Grimacing, Naruto looked over his shoulder. "What? I don't swing that way."

Tackling the blond to the ground, Gray gripped his shirt and thumped him against the stone. "Now you listen here!"

A sudden explosion went off under the startled mage and Gray was left looking everywhere as Naruto disappeared from sight. Finally looking up, he saw the boy standing on a roof. Cupping a hand around his mouth, Naruto called down to the frustrated mage. "I thought you might jump me after your secret was out!"

Turning, Naruto began running away with a bark of laughter leaving Gray to splutter indignantly before charging after the infuriating teen.

XxXxXxX

A smug Naruto now sat beside an embarrassed Gray as they waited for the show to start. Any attempt from friends to find out what was wrong with the mage was met with a cold stare and no response. Despite this, Shou, Wally, Millianna, Elfman and Natsu also sat with them, the local giant eager as always to see a bit of skin and the smaller mage nibbling tentatively at a piece of bread. The other three mostly just looked around in awe at the splendour of the guild.

Happy had accompanied Natsu as usual, the small cat staring up at the sickly teen as Natsu continued to try eat. "You really are dumb Natsu. I told you not to eat anything since you'd just puke it all up again."

Whining pitifully, Natsu shook his head slightly. "But I was feeling ok this morning!"

Shrugging, Happy turned back to watch the stage. "It doesn't make you any less dumb. Just be happy you're not as dumb as Lucy yet."

A sneeze rang out from behind the drawn curtains as Happy mentioned the blond and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. The lights began to dim and everyone hushed as the presenter walked up to the stage. Gripping his microphone animatedly, the show began. "Good morning everyone! How are we? Ready to see the beauties of Fairy Tail battle it out for the title of Miss Fairy Tail?"

A large cry erupted excitedly from the crowd as the announcer stirred their spirits. "Good to hear! My name is Max and I shall be your host for the duration of the contest. I think all you fine gentlemen out there have waited long enough so without further adieu, I am happy to announce the beginning of the Miss Fairy Tail Competition!"

All spectators let out a mighty roar as pre-recorded music filled the hall, the anticipation building as everyone struggled to maintain composure.

Looking at a little sheet in his hands, Max nodded. "Ok, first up we have one of the local girls. As one of the taller entries, she has legs that go on for miles and an alcoholic tolerance that rivals even the greatest drinkers. Sporting a trim waist that even the fittest athletes envy, I give to you Cana Alberona!"

Jumping up from his seat with a mighty cheer, Naruto dragged Gray up by the scruff of his neck as well. "You are going to watch this and you are damn well going to enjoy it! Now look!"

Slinking forward from the shadows, Cana emerged and cast an appraising view out over the crazy audience. Deciding their level of excitement was high enough, the brunette lifted her arms slowly to grab her bountiful amounts of hair and begin pushing it up across her face, all the while making sure to promote certain aspects of her body.

Whistling loudly, Naruto dropped Gray to the floor and cupped his mouth. "Hell yeah Cana, work what your mother gave you!"

Winking in his direction, she then blew him a kiss that earned the beaming blond several dirty looks from other men in the audience.

Dancing back, Max took the mic up again and screamed into it, "Alright, Cana! Time to stun us with your incredible magic! Show us what you can do!"

The volume raised even more as Cana withdrew a deck of cards before fanning them out in her hands. Letting her skills draw the cards from her hand, the brightly sparkling pieces of cardboard whipped around her rapidly, obscuring her from view for a moment before bursting out in an explosion of colour to reveal the woman in an itty-bitty two piece bathing suit.

Forcefully sucking up the strand of drool that seeped from his mouth, Naruto let out another cry of joy of approval as he gazed upon the delicious dull red and moss green bikini. Screaming again, Naruto grinned widely as he fist pumped the air. One act in and it was already the best freaking thing he had ever attended. Life was too good.

Turning to look at Erza's three friends, Naruto was pleased to find them unable to tear their eyes away from the bold girl up on the stage. Laughing, he punched each of them on the shoulder and ruffled Millianna's hair, effectively breaking the trance Cana held over them. "How good is that?"

Shou just swallowed noiselessly while Wally cleared his throat and fanned himself with his hat. "Uh... she is most certainly a dandy specimen... I wasn't expecting to see quite so much skin."

Grinning widely, Naruto thumped them again. "I know, incredible huh?" Turning his gaze to the heavily blushing third member, Naruto leaned in. "So why aren't you up there?"

Squeaking embarrassedly, the girl dipped her face into her hands. "I couldn't! I'm not a part of the guild and besides, I wouldn't be brave enough."

"Awww!" Wrapping an arm around the girl, Naruto gave her a friendly hug. "That's ok. Maybe one day you will though! I'd love to see you up there."

Shaking her head within her hands, Naruto just chuckled and turned his attention back up to the stage.

Fanning himself, Max stepped back into center stage as Cana left with a wink and a kiss. "Wow! Is it getting hot in here or has my suit got insulation?"

A few laughs sounded out but were mostly lost within the still screaming majority. Grinning, the presented checked his card again before tucking it into his top. "Ok, entry number two! One of the newer girls; she moved over to us and has graced us with her beauty ever since. Easily S Ranked in looks, this girl will wash you away faster than a tsunami. Please make welcome, Juvia Lockser!"

Reaching down and grabbing Gray, Naruto hauled the mage up and pointed his head at the stage. "Watch this girl or I tell her you tried to hit on me."

Grumbling uncomfortably to himself, the shaggy teen complied nonetheless.

Walking forward in her usual white and blue, vest and skirt combination, the girl gave a timid wave before jumping right into the magic side of her act. She began to glow from her neck down as her magic took hold and converted her entire lower body to water. Waves splashed out across the audience everywhere but within a few moments every last drop was called back up to the stage, leaving all spectators completely dry. The liquid swirled around her body like an above ground whirlpool before coagulating back into her original body, except now she had on a two piece bikini as well.

Grabbing Gray's face, Naruto pointed at the girl. "Do you see that Gray? DO YOU?"

And indeed he could, every last bit of the fittingly blue with white polka-dot bathing suit. A number of whistles pierced the air as the girl on stage twirled about, the fabric holding back her chest straining tight against the bulk behind. Ending with a low bow that exposed much cleavage, Juvia left to a great many cheers as Max walked forward. "What a girl. If you can say any one of these girls is interested in you then you have to be one of the luckiest men... or _women_... alive!"

This time, a great laughter filled the halls at the thought of something like that. The only one who wasn't laughing was Gray who was staring at his blond companion/torturer. "You made him say that didn't you?"

Shaking his head, Naruto grinned. "Nope, that wasn't me! Must just be the universe itself telling you just what you're missing out on!"

Dipping into his pocket, Max retrieved the slip and grinned when he saw the next name. This one will be fun. "Alright, contestant number three! We haven't seen much of this girl, but what we have has never failed to stun us into silence. Cute, bubbly, friendly and adorably mischievous, I give you Naruko!"

Snorting violently, Elfman and Gray looked over at the extremely pleased blond. "What do you think you are doing?"

Raising his eyebrow with a grin, Naruto crossed his arms. "There is five hundred thousand jewels up for grabs and I can make a female clone of myself. I'd be stupid not to try and besides, the bragging rights I'd have over any girls if I beat them is just way too big an opportunity to pass up!"

"Yeah... I suppose so." Conceding his point, Gray looked back up at the stage as a dark form walked on. Clapping Naruto on the shoulder, Elfman grinned and looked up at the stage. "In that case, I wish you all the best of luck and hope for an extremely manly show!"

"Uh..." Not really wanting that description of his female counterpart, Naruto shook his head. "You know what? Just watch."

Striding forward confidently, the blond bombshell grinned broadly at the masses of people before her. She was in a typical, old school style maid dress that had so many frills you almost couldn't tell where the dress stopped and the petticoats began. Casting an arm out and drawing it across the crowd, she grinned and cocked her hip. "Who wants a show, huh?"

The crowd screamed excitedly yet Naruto just dropped her face and sighed. "I dunno, they don't sound all that wound up. What do you think girls?"

To everyones immense joy, three other identical blonds walked out, pouting as they looked over the near frothing crowd. Shaking their collective heads, the blonds' shrugged. "Nah. Maybe we should just leave."

A roar of disapproval went up and the lead blond smirked. "What? You want us to stay?"

The foundations of the guild shook as the scream deafened everyone present. Grinning, the girls lined up back to back. "That's more like it!"

Raising their right arms high in the air, they all formed a half seal with their left hands over their chests and clicked their raised finders as they called out, "**Henge (Transform)**!"

Smoke filled the stage as the girls instantly changed their garments to something a great deal more revealing. The spectators slightly hushed as they waited for the area to clear, and once it did there wasn't a person in all of Magnolia that couldn't hear them. Lounging over one another were the four blonds dressed in the most inappropriate purple devil bikini anyone had ever seen. The way they slid across each other's bodies, purposefully pressing their chests together had red eruptions going off all through the crowd.

Discretely dabbing his nose, Max walked forward and clapped for the writhing group of girls on the floor. "W-Well, that was unexpected! Anyway, time for the magnificent next contestant! Possibly our most famous mage, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't know this gorgeous face. Our very own poster girl, Mirajane!"

Exploding into cheers, hats and other items were thrown into the air as the barmaid walked out. Dressed in her usual maroon dress, she waved at the crowd as they cheered. Bowing slightly, she clasped her hands before her and started speaking. "Hello all! My strength is in transformation magic, so I'll be demonstrating that!"

Crowing to the skies, Naruto desperately tried to out shout the people around him. "That's right Mira-chan! You got this in the bag!"

Right beside him was Elfman with his arm raised high, dwarfing all those around him. "That's my sister! She's a real man!"

Overbalancing, Naruto landed flat on his face before jumping back up and glaring at Elfman. "Seriously, you really need to work on when NOT to say that!"

Swiping a hand across her face, the girl began the show. Her head glowed momentarily before Happy's face replaced her own. "Just the face of Happy!"

Not at all ready for the unusual transformation, awkward cheers from the spectators replaced the more enthusiastic ones as the crowd looked on uncomfortably. Oblivious, Mira continued and swapped faces again. "Just the face of Gajeel!"

Hearing a monstrous splutter from the far side of the hall, everyone could tell the owner of that face was far from impressed.

"Nice tits Gajeel!"

Turning a gaze of death toward the comment, Gajeel instantly pounced upon a gafforing Natsu, the fire mage finding it absolutely hilarious. They quickly deteriorated into an all out brawl and were quickly kicked to the back of the hall by several spectators.

Naruto however jumped high into the air to reach Elfman's head. Whipping a hand out, he cuffed the man about the ear and landed with an angry thump. "Look at what you did! She really did turn into a man!"

Staring up at his sister, the man was rendered speechless, not actually expecting his darling sibling to go and do something like that.

Growling, Naruto crossed his arms and dropped back into his seat. That wasn't how it was meant to go.

Sweat-dropping, Max struggled to reignite the general mood of the place and moved on. "Well done, Mirajane! Um... next up, we have Erza Scarlet! Brace yourselves because we all know this girl can put on a show!"

The noise level rising again, Erza flipped out from behind the curtain to land solidly before the spectators. Smirking, the mage levelled everyone with a stern gaze. "I will not lose here. Transform!"

Lighting up with a brilliant gold shine, the woman swapped her usual uniform over for an extremely short, goth loli dress, complete with thigh high stockings, arm braces, a corset and a massive push up bra. Raising her eyebrows confidently, the mage crossed her arms under her enhanced bust and pushed it up further. "Give it up, I win."

Nodding approvingly as the crowd screamed for more, Max smiled and began speaking again. "Very nice, very nice. Ok, next up we have the little fairy! Cute, rather partial to orange, intelligent and owning one of the biggest book collections I ever witnessed, please make welcome Levy McGarden!"

Waving at the ecstatic crowd, Levy whipped out a pen and began writing something in the air. Smirking, she slapped he palm against it and called out, "**Solid Script**!"

Instantly the room was covered as the word 'snow' rained down snow over all the people. Following that was a beautiful warmth from the glowing word 'heat' and finally finishing off the spectacular display were hundreds of butterflies dancing through the crowd, the tiny words flapping around merrily. Jet and Droy were up the very front screaming like the love sick fanboys they were until each passed out from oxygen deprivation and slumped to the floor.

Chuckling, Max pointed at the men as he took center stage. "Would someone get them a drink? All this excitement seems to have taken its toll!"

No one made to help them though so with a shrug, Max continued. "So, time for contestant number seven. She had eyes keener than a hawk and could shoot your very heart from your chest at a thousand paces. Fairy Tail's very own sexy sniper, Bisca Mulan!"

Snorting, Naruto's eyes widened immensely as he took in the amazing lady's figure. Long, chest length green hair hung straight down her back, a hand cocked on her scantily clad hip. Like most girls he had met here, Bisca was fairly well endowed and her purple top was just barely holding everything back. Deep brown eyes drifted across the crowd and ruby red lips smirked when she noticed Naruto's gobsmacked face. She didn't linger however, quickly jumping into her act.

Nudging Gray, Naruto leaned in. "Who is that?"

Rolling his eyes, Gray shook his head. "Didn't you hear? It's Bisca, mage of Fairy Tail. Honestly, you listen as well as Natsu."

Not really the information the blond wanted, Naruto just shrugged and watched as the woman threw several coins into the air. Pulling a long stick from the air, she proceeded to fire it and a jet of concentrated magic shot out from the tip, piercing all the coins straight through their centres. Holding a lazy hand out, she caught the coins before displaying the single bullseye shot through them all.

Swallowing in surprise, Naruto nudged Gray again. "Oi, what was that stick thing she used?"

Frowning, Gray looked up at his current annoyance. "You mean the gun?"

Blinking, Naruto looked back up at the laughing woman. "Yeah, I guess that's what you'd call it. Huh, looks pretty awesome."

Turning to face Naruto fully, Gray arched an eyebrow. "You mean you didn't know what a gun was?"

Shaggy blond hair shook about. "Nope, didn't have anything like that back home."

Hearing Max then call out Lucy's name, Naruto quickly pushed his way to the back of the hall in search of Natsu. Finding him still rolling about with Gajeel, the blond pulled them apart forcefully before throwing Gajeel away across the room. "Natsu! Lucy is about to perform! If you ever want that kiss, you will come to appreciate her and show her you're interested in what she's doing! Now get up!"

Pulling the startled mage up, Naruto jumped over the group and landed back in his seat with a thump. Hauling Natsu up as Lucy began performing a cheer routine with a number of her spirits, the blond pointed up at the girl. "Now cheer her!"

Seeing that Lucy was actually performing quite the impressive routine, Natsu realised he would have cheered anyway and raised an excited hand. "Yeah Lucy! You're doing great!"

Watching the mage quickly get into the swing of things and begin cheering just as loud as the rest of the men, Naruto nodded his head sagely. It was a job well done.

Watching the act a little longer, Naruto was really beginning to get swept up in the mood of things when a rather haughty female voice filled the room. "You can't forget about entry number nine now. If you're talking about the queen of the fairies, then it just has to be me."

Walking in from the shadows, a strange women dressed completely in green hid her face with a wide, purple fan. "If you're talking about beauty, then you must be talking about me. Indeed, if you talk about anything feminine, then it must be me."

"Who is that?" Cocking an eyebrow at the condescending tone, Naruto tried recognising the voice. Long black stockings covered her legs, reaching right up her thighs to touch a slender green skirt. Rising up over her curvy hips was a tight, full body black and green corset that finished just below the start of her cleavage. Four long pieces of fabric hung down from her shoulders, almost looking like wings. Matching green gloves covered her arms and with a well practiced snap, the fancy purple fan in her hand clicked shut.

Thin spectacles rested on her nose as sharp brown eyes surveyed the silent crowd before her. Finishing up the look was an extremely well kept head of brown hair, the majority of it pulled up into a fashionable bun while leaving two long strips to frame her sharp face. "Now that this ridiculous contest is over, you can award the prize to me, Evergreen!"

Hushed whispers began filling the hall as people began muttering amongst themselves. Looking around in confusion, Naruto could hear comments like, "Evergreen? She came back?" Scrunching up his face, Naruto raised a hand. "Uh, you're hot, but not _that_ hot. Besides, you haven't even done anything magical yet."

All noise instantly cut off as the entire populace within the hall stared at the blond incredulously. Seeing the number of gazes, Naruto huffed and crossed his arms. "What? She hasn't!"

"Ha, you must be that new boy Laxus told us about."

Frowning upon hearing that distasteful man's name, Naruto looked up at Evergreen. "You know him?"

Nodding, she opened her fan again and waved herself gently with it. "Yes, he's our team leader."

"Oh." Naruto made a face. "In that case, next time you see him, tell him he sucks for me."

Bristling, Evergreen snapped her fan closed. She may have been smiling, but the venom was clearly evident in her eyes. "You may want to watch your tongue _child _else it might get frozen."

Hearing these words, Gray snapped his head down. "Naruto! Don't look into her eyes!"

Having had experience with three of the greatest **Dōjutsu (Eye Techniques) **known to ninja kind, Naruto wasted no time with squeezing his eyes shut and dropping his head at Gray's command. Just in time too by the sound of the disappointed sigh from Evergreen. "Awww, that's no fun!"

During all this however, Lucy was getting pretty cranky with being ignored while this random woman barged in on her. Tapping her on the shoulder, the blond frowned as Evergreen cast a lazy eye over her. "What do you think you are doing? Wait your turn! My rent is on the line here!"

Not even gracing her with a response, the woman simply dropped her glasses a bit and stared into Lucy's eyes. Gasping, the younger girl seemed to suck in half a breath before being locked solid within stone. Freaking out upon witnessing the danger, Max gave up on the professional image and shouted out at the crowd, "Everyone, get away! You must run!"

Everyone looked up at Max apprehensively as he waved them away. "What are you waiting for? _GO_!"

At his second prompting, the gathering of men and women turned tail and fled, a few fearful screams floating from the group as they left. Only the main members of the Fairy Tail guild remained with Makarov coming out of hiding and fronting up to the arrogant woman. "Evergreen! What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to ruin the festival?"

Chuckling, the woman shook her head. "Entertainment is indispensible for a good festival right? This is just a part of it."

As she said that, the curtain behind her began to rise, revealing every female member that participated in the contest now frozen solid in stone. Eyes widening in confusion and disbelief, Makarov shook his head. "What are you talking about girl, have you gone mad? Turn them back this instant!"

Ever didn't reply however as a bright light filled the guild hall. Increasing in intensity, everything was eventually whited out before a massive thunderclap rang out revealing a sparking Laxus standing on the stage. Smirking cruelly down at the mages before him, he let his eyes rest on everyone before finally focusing his attention on Makarov. "How are we, Fairy Tail fools? The real festival begins now!"

Ignoring the taunting tone, Naruto pointed up at Laxus. "Oh, you're here! I can tell you then instead of your pawn. You suck!"

Evergreen's eye twitched but said nothing as Laxus just laughed. "Oh good, you're here. This will be most satisfying watching you suffer."

Frowning, Naruto just stared up at the man, daring him to start something.

"Freed?"

Hearing Elfman gasp, Naruto followed the giant's train of sight to finally see a rather feminine man standing up high in the rafters. Sharp blue eyes stared down at them all, his waist length green hair protecting his long, double breasted coat from the beam he was leaning on. A sharp sword hung from his belt that seemed to compliment his 'nobleman' appearance nicely.

"And Bickslow?"

Further back in the shadows was a creepy man lounging in the corner of the roof. He had a tight black shirt with purple vertical stripes covering it; metal shoulder pads resting on the fabric of his upper arms. Baggy blue pants covered his legs and a number of odd, barrel shaped dolls floated around him like little moons. An old style metal helmet covered the upper half of his face leaving his mouth free and open with his abnormally long tongue hanging out. Upon squinting, Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the guild stamp on the muscle. "You're the weirdo Mira-chan told me about! Seriously, who'd get a stamp on their tongue?"

The man just laughed but didn't say anything as he turned his attention to Laxus.

"This isn't good..." Hearing Gray mumble under his breath, Naruto looked over. "What?"

The shaggy teen pointed at the three newest mages. "They are Laxus's helpers, the Thunder God Tribe. They rarely ever pop their head into the guild, so having them all here at once can't mean anything good for us right now."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto shook his head in confusion. "Wait, so honorary guild members pose a threat to the guild? How's that work?"

Gray didn't get a chance to reply as Laxus addressed Makarov. "Alright old man, let's play a game shall we?"

Not backing down, Makarov stared down his grandchild. "Don't do anything stupid Laxus. Turn the girls back now."

Ignoring the order, Laxus just chuckled and answered cryptically, "So, I wonder how many people will survive to be in the parade afterward? Any guesses?"

Looking at Lucy, a massive thunderbolt suddenly exploded down right beside her statue, bare inches from destroying her form. Laughing as he heard the collective terrified gasps, he wandered over and draped an arm around her form. "I'll be taking these girls as hostages to make sure you play fair. You break the rules and I'll break them, one by one. As Evergreen said, this is _real_ entertainment."

Whipping an arm out, Makarov glared up at the conceited man. "Stop this stupidity! You don't need to put people's lives on the line like this! Stop joking around and come down from there!"

Chuckling again, Laxus shook his head. "Oh no, I'm deadly serious right now."

Jumping down, Freed and Bickslow landed either side of their leader. Staring down at the mages through his long fringe, Freed addressed the group. "This is a test. Let us clearly see once and for all who is the strongest in all of Fairy Tail."

Laughing almost insanely, Bickslow grinned down at them. "Yeah, let's play!"

"_Play, play!_" Imitating his words, the dolls floating around their owner shouted out the word in a metallic voice, still somehow managing to sound just as eager as Bickslow.

Voice taking on a hard edge, Laxus pointed down at the group. "The rules are simple! Last mage standing wins! I think we'll call this, Battle of Fairy Tail!"

Having remained relatively silent up until now, Natsu slammed a flaming fist down on a bench top and grinned up at the man. "Sounds like fun! I'm getting all fired up!"

Laughing, Laxus looked down at the young mage. "I like that attitude!"

Walking forward, Natsu looked up at the powerful blond. "Come on then, let's get this party started!"

Igniting his fists, Natsu screamed and attacked as he flew right towards Laxus. Shaking his head, the blond mage held out a hand. Instantly Natsu went up in a bright gold light as he was shocked violently by a massive lightning bolt. "Not so hasty, brat."

Taking over, Evergreen began explaining. "If you wish for these women to survive, you must defeat us. There are only four of us and yet there is nearly a hundred other mages in the guild. Surely it couldn't be that hard." Chuckling, she continued. "You have three hours. Three hours to defeat us all. If you don't the girls turn to dust. The battlefield is all of Magnolia. The actual fight begins when you find us. Does that sound fair?"

Growling deeply, Makarov's eyes began bleeding red as his anger rose. "Laxus... don't joke around like this!" Calling upon his vast reserves of magic, Makarov began growing, his tiny form rapidly expanding until he was easily thirty feet tall and struggling to fit within the room.

Staring up in shock, Naruto, Wally, Shou and Millianna all dropped their jaws as they witnessed the massive man's power for the first time. Naruto had had an inkling of what it was, but actually seeing it in action was a whole other thing.

Laxus just laughed mockingly however and began glowing brightly. "Now now, this is just a game. It is the entertainment for the festival!" Looking down at Naruto, the mage pointed a finger at him. "I'll be seeing you out there, _sir_."

Laughing again, the light around him instantly brightened to an unbearable level as he flash-banged the entire room. Eventually his laughing faded, the bright light quickly disappearing after that.

Tentatively trying their vision, the guild members present opened their eyes and looked around. Upon glancing at the stage, they realised Laxus and his three helpers had vanished.

"DAMN IT!" Slamming a massive fist down on a table, Elfman looked around in vein. "We must save sister and the rest of them! Catch that bastard!"

A supportive scream from all the mages present filled the air as they all charged toward the entrance of the guild, each eager to try and find Laxus and then beat him down for such a horrible thing. Charging along with the group, Naruto couldn't help but grin. While it wasn't 'just a game', the blond couldn't help but feel the usual rise in him when it came to a competition. Who was the strongest member of Fairy Tail exactly?

Charging towards the doors, Naruto heard Makarov let out a furious scream and charge after the departing group. Grinning, Naruto just put his head down and ran faster. This was going to be amazing.

Then the unthinkable happened. His head passed through the door but the second his stomach reached it the blond was brought to an abrupt halt. Crying out in pain, Naruto slumped to the floor holding his stomach. It felt like someone had punched him as hard as they could! A solid thump beside him made him look over and Naruto was surprised to see Makarov squashed flat against the air, an invisible wall blocking his path.

Groaning, the ninja tentatively got up while cradling his stomach. Coughing, he looked at Makarov in confusion. "What the hell just happened?"

Groaning, the small man looked up to Naruto and widened his eyes as something above the blond caught his eyes. "Look."

Following the pointed finger, Naruto was surprised to see a number of purple floating symbols in the air. Stepping back to view them better, the blond raised an eyebrow. "What are those?"

Sighing, Makarov scratched his head in defeat. "Freed's runes. Damn, more issues to deal with."

Looking back up at the words, Naruto reached out to touch the wall but found his arm passing through air. Flexing his hand curiously, he tried to walk forward but found that once his stomach reached the entrance, a wall against his gut forced him to stop. Stepping back, he studied his stomach carefully as Makarov placed a hand against the barrier. Looking over at the old man, Naruto shook his head. "I don't understand, why aren't we allowed out? Can't we just break through it?"

Shaking his head, the Guild Master sighed. "No, runes take a long time to prepare but once activated are absolute. There is no physical way to push through."

Not understanding the weird script, Naruto pointed at the words. "So what's it say?"

Running his eyes over the lines, Makarov began speaking. "Neither female statues, nor anyone over the age of eighty may leave this guild."

Snorting, Naruto looked up at the words. "Well someone made a mistake 'cause I ain't eighty."

"_**You mightn't be, but don't forget there are two of us here."**_

Hearing a deep laughter echo through his head, Naruto stiffened. Kyuubi. Of course.

Noticing Naruto's shocked expression, Makarov narrowed an eye. "Boy, are you ok?"

Blinking, Naruto looked down at the man and chuckled nervously. "Ah, yeah, just thinking about being stuck in here and running out of food."

Sighing, Makarov shook his head and muttered something while Naruto wiped away a bit of sweat. That had been close.

Hearing a gasp from down on the hall floor, both men looked over to see Natsu sit bolt upright, having just awoken from his shock induced slumber. Looking around dazedly, he grumbled something until he realised he was alone. "Hang on, has the contest started without me?"

Jumping to his feet, the excitable mage charged up to Naruto and Makarov. "What the hell is going on?"

Looking down, Naruto watched as a plan quickly formed in the astute mind of the old man. Whatever it was would hopefully help them out of here. Fixing Natsu with a steely gaze, Makarov pointed at the door. "Laxus has started the battle! You will find him somewhere within Magnolia. Get out there and crush him!"

Exploding into flame, Natsu couldn't follow the order any more happily. "RIGHT ON IT!"

Charging at the door, the mage let out a mighty cheer before being stopped flat against the wall with a solid splat. Moaning in pain, Natsu slipped to the floor as Makarov and Naruto watched on in shock. Rolling onto his side, the mage painfully moved his hands up to hold his bleeding nose. "Wh-What the hell was that?"

Groaning, Makarov dropped his hands to his side as Naruto wandered over and started poking Natsu with his toe. "What the hell is going on here?"

XxXxXxX

_A/N – aaaaand cut. People, I must apologise for the delay, but I blame it on a number of new anime that have recently been released, especially 'Sword Art Online'. Here's my review of it:_

_If there was ever an anime that made me drop my jaw at the breathtaking backgrounds and flawlessly smooth animation, then this is it. _

_The actual story itself is pretty cool as well. 10'000 people are caught within a virtual world that have to fight through 100 levels to escape the game. Unfortunately the anime seems to skip a fair bit of information between episodes so you can't really get to know the characters, but even so, the main character is fantastic and the animators have really developed him well for the jumps in story. _

_I seriously recommend watching it, if only for the incredible art work._

_Anyway, story summary. Yeah, not a lot of action happened this chapter, but I guarantee next chapter is where it is all at. I wanted to keep writing right into it, but when I realised I was 12'000 words in, I thought it best to stop._

_I hope the chapter is up to the usual standard as I struggled a bit with the first half of the story, but then things started getting easier as I went on. You can probably tell where I found my second wind._

_I think there was more to add, but that's the important stuff said._

_Anyway for this omake, Wyrd Darcnyss misread a section of my story that made it absolutely hilarious, so I felt the need to expand on it for you all to enjoy it with us. It takes place just as Phantom Lord is about to attack Fairy Tail._

**Omake**

The entire guild and a good portion of the civilians that had gathered were all looking up at a giant mechanical beast that towered above the town. Six enormous, gold coloured metal legs sank deep into the water as it waded forward, the earth shuddering with every step they took. They were connected to a massive slab of rock, the rugged, half-moon shape of it making it look like it had been physically ripped from the very ground it had rested in. On the flat top of that rock sat a massive white, hexagonally shaped building. Windows covered its faces, four massive, intricately designed, thin pillars with even more windows in them, protruding upwards from each corner of the slab of rock they were sitting on.

Watching on in awe as the gigantic thing walked forwards, Naruto overheard several mages muttering amongst themselves.

"Is that Phantom Lord?"

"The freakin' guild is walking!"

"What kind of magic is this? I've never heard of such a thing!"

Due to the shock of seeing such a creation, it took Naruto a moment to realise he was losing feeling in his behind. Looking over his shoulder, he realised Erza was gripping his backside so firmly it looked like she was trying to rip it off.

That being said though, _Erza was currently holding his backside_. He wasn't all that sure when it happened, but he wasn't about to complain. Perhaps it was a comfort measure for her? Maybe she needed comforting in return? Naruto hoped so.

Gingerly reaching down, Naruto slowly cupped the mages backside. Eyeing her for any negative reaction, Naruto internally cheered as she just continued to stare up at the leviathan. Giving her a gentle squeeze, Naruto quickly slapped his free hand to his nose. She didn't have any undies on under the towel.

Looking from her, to the massive structure before them and then to the hand still firmly planted on his bum, Naruto couldn't help but hope Phantom Lord decided to attack more often because this was totally awesome.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – short but sweet. I hope you got a laugh out of it!_

_Lanky Nathan_


	27. Chapter 27

Having pulled himself from the floor, Natsu glared up at the invisible wall in front of him while Naruto and Makarov stood back and tried to plan their next move. A status report had popped up in the runes a few seconds after Natsu smacked into it, detailing the current fights that were occurring. There were already numerous battles everywhere and as each match drew to a close, the victor and loser were displayed amongst the symbols. Explosions throughout the city were easily heard from the guild, proof that there were indeed a large number of fights taking place.

This riled up Natsu immensely, his disgust at being left out of the competition being taken out on the magical barrier in the form of an onslaught of ineffective punches.

Letting him go at it, the old man sighed as the continuing casualty count rose. "This is a nightmare. How could Laxus make us fight against ourselves like this?"

While the man wasn't expecting an answer, Natsu turned from his relentless pounding against the barrier and sent the pair a grin. "Bah, don't worry! Laxus might be a tool, but he's still a guild member! There's no way he'd go and actually kill anyone. I bet it was just a way to motivate everyone!"

Turning back, his grin disappeared back into a scowl as he started thrashing the barrier again. "That's why I'm so pissed I can't go fight! I WANT IN!"

Staring contemplatively at the young mage, Makarov scratched his chin in thought. What Natsu did say had merit; Laxus was a guild member so maybe it was just a bluff after all. While extremely poor in taste, it would serve the purpose of having everyone fight at full strength.

Naruto however had his doubts. Living in a world where a friend killed a friend if given the incentive, the blond couldn't bring himself to believe that the petrifaction of the girls was just for show. He kept them to himself for the moment though as he didn't want to make the males panic. Looking down at the slightly less stressed man, Naruto forced a smile to his face. "You keep trying to figure out the runes. I wanna see if I can escape."

Hearing a positive grunt, Naruto ran up beside Natsu and watched the mage pound away on the wall. That clearly wasn't working, so maybe a high speed technique of some sort?

Forming the Ram seal, Naruto activated **Shunshin (Body Flicker)** and blurred toward the barrier.

"HURK!"

It felt like he had run full pace into the edge of a stone table. With the breath completely knocked from him, Naruto hit the ground twitching as he desperately tried to fight the rising nausea from having his stomach squashed flat. Natsu was in stitches beside him, the teen nearly collapsing from laughing so hard, but Naruto couldn't afford the focus required to even think about that.

Tentatively sitting up, the blond took a few deeper breaths to clear his airways and looked up at the wretched thing. A few new symbols flashed up on the airborne screen before him and looking over at the Master, attempted to ask what it said. He couldn't manage much but thankfully Makarov understood. "It says that out of all of us, only forty-two remain. They may be friends, but they are extremely serious about this. I don't like this at all."

As in response to Makarov, a couple of explosions went off a few streets over; a pained cry reaching their ears as another mage fell victim to a colleague. Frowning, Makarov clicked his tongue agitatedly. "No, this is not right. I just wish this blasted barrier wasn't here!"

Turning to face the Master, Natsu laughed. "Didn't you hear what I said? It's all just a bluff! There's no way Laxus would do something like that!"

"Oh, there isn't is there?"

Stiffening up at the voice, the three males spun around to see Laxus standing there right in front of them. Something wasn't quite right about him though as he seemed slightly transparent with the occasional horizontal black line running down his form.

"A thought projection?"

Hearing the Master speak, Naruto raised an eyebrow as he studied the hazy form. That must have been the answer, but it wasn't anything on the same level as Ultear's while she explained it to him all that time ago. Naruto mentally made a note to go see the woman as soon as this mess was resolved. She must have been all healed up from the fight by now.

Watching the group, Laxus began walking forward. "So what are you two doing here anyway? I'd have thought you'd be out in the middle of this trying to find me."

Pointing at Natsu and Naruto, the tall blond then crossed his arms as he waited for an answer. Growling, Natsu raised a fist. "Well I would be if that damn barrier wasn't there! Let us out and I'll come find you right now!"

Breaking in, Makarov stared up at his tall grandson. "Laxus... what is the meaning of all this?"

Grinning widely, the man raised his hands and answered cryptically, "Your children... nah, you call them brats don't you. Your brats are out there currently fighting each other to the point of unconsciousness. I bet you just can't stand that! Since Natsu and Erza can't join in, it just doesn't seem that there is anyone left who could take down my Thunder God Tribe... except you."

Turning his piercing eyes toward Naruto, Laxus's gaze darkened. "Why are you here? You just waiting everything out like a coward?"

Squaring himself up, Naruto glared right back into the man's eyes. "No, I'm stuck in here like these two. If I could get free, I swear I'd have found you by now and laid waste to you. Already done it once, wouldn't be too hard to do again."

Anger clouded Laxus's face for a second before it was replaced with a cruel smirk. "You'd like to think that wouldn't you? If dearest old grandpa hadn't interrupted, you'd still be lying in hospital in a coma."

Raising a challenging eyebrow, Naruto looked down his nose at the projection. "Come challenge me for real then instead of bragging about it. I bet you feel so tough talking yourself up from behind some worthless projection. Or are you just too _scared_ to come back up your words?"

Scowling, Laxus swiped the air bare millimetres from Naruto's nose. "I have better things to do than have a pissing contest with some fake mage! Make no mistake though, I _will_ come for you!"

Spitting at the ground before Laxus's feet, Naruto turned his gaze off to the side. "Do your worst. _Tenmetsu sa seru koto ga deki mae ni, watashi wa anata o korosuttebayo._"

Swapping back to his native tongue for a second, Naruto completely caught Laxus off guard with the comment. Unable to come up with a suitable reply, he turned his seething gaze from the maddening blond and looked back down at Makarov. Taking a moment, the arrogant mage calmed himself before smirking again. "Please excuse that. You really must teach him some manners though. People could otherwise mistake him for a stray dog."

Naruto glared at the mage and mumbled something under his breath in his language again. Ignoring that, Laxus straightened up. "So where were we? Oh, that's right; I was saying that there is no one left capable of defeating my Tribe is there? So what do you say? Ready to surrender?"

Having remained mostly quiet until now, Happy decided to speak up in the guild's defence. "That's not true! Gray is still out there and he's as strong as Natsu!"

Natsu did not like the comment at all and objected loudly. "LIKE HELL HE IS!"

Waving a paw, Happy shushed him. "But he is. Saying he's not won't make him any weaker."

Laughing, Laxus shook his head. "That whelp? You'd be better off hoping that fool over there finds a way to break out!"

Again, Naruto just muttered something spiteful under his breath in his own language.

Ignoring the dangerous intent drifting from the teen, Makarov nodded in agreement with the small blue cat. "Indeed. Don't count us all out just yet! Gray may prove more than you can handle."

Unfortunately the board behind the group lit up in defiance to their hopes with the label: Gray vs. Bickslow. Bickslow – winner, Gray – loser.

Throwing his head back, Laxus laughed heartily at the result. "Ha! What did I tell you?"

While Natsu glared at the board angrily, Happy turned and spat out, "You must have cheated! There's no way Gray would lose!"

Smirking, Laxus ignored the cat and looked down at the Master. "So, I ask again. Who else is there that could defeat my Thunder Tribe?"

As Natsu tried to refute him, Makarov sighed and shook his head. "Natsu, leave it." Looking up at his grandson, the old man frowned. "You win Laxus. I surrender. Now let everyone go."

Grinning broadly, Laxus widened his eyes in greed. "Oh, that may have worked a year ago, but not now. What would everyone say about their dear old master giving up? Surrendering at such a critical time... you may as well just pass the title on to me. "

Eyes widening in realisation, Makarov took a step back. "That's what it was all about from the beginning wasn't it?"

Laxus's lips pulled back even further as he neared his goal. "You have just over two hours until those wrenches behind me turn to dust. Announce over the loud speakers that you pass the title from you to me and everyone will be spared."

"Evergreen is the one who can unfreeze Erza and everyone?" Looking over, the males present saw Naruto's eyes shadowed beneath his fringe. Looking up through the strands, he glared at Laxus. "Well?"

Sneering, Laxus nodded. "She is, but I don't know how that will help you."

Flashing his hands up into a cross, Naruto focused and pushed his chakra to the limit. "**Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Mass Shadow Clone Technique)!**"

Seconds later a deafening boom sounded out, the noise accompanied by a thick cloud that blanketed the area. The rapid sound of footsteps instantly reached everyones ears and by the time the cloud had cleared, each person present widened their eyes in shock as a literal stampede of Naruto's were vanishing out the door. Turning back to the original, Laxus was met with a dangerous gaze. "I will find her and I will defeat her. Then, I'm coming for you."

Snorting, Laxus reeled in his surprise and scoffed at the claim. "I wish you the best of luck then because you will sorely need it."

Chuckling, the man then vanished into thin air without leaving a trace of his presence.

Turning to face the angry teen, Makarov raised an eyebrow as the last of the clones disappeared. "What you said about Evergreen... she will be ok after you are done with her?"

Though he growled severely, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, nothing lasting. Just enough to make her return the statues back to normal."

"Oh." Turning to look back at the door, Makarov quirked an eyebrow. "So how come your clones can leave but you can't?"

Looking away slightly, Naruto shrugged. "Because they're clones, they don't have everything I have. I guess whatever it was that stopped me isn't in them."

Having watched them all run through the door, Natsu turned back to Naruto and frowned. "So how long till all of you's get Evergreen?"

"A few scouts are out looking for her now." A memory flashed in Naruto's eyes and he looked up at the board. "Found her. Give it another five minutes."

"Eh?" Turning to look at the symbols, Natsu, Happy and Makarov all stared up in surprise as maybe six minutes later, Evergreen's name appeared on the board as defeated. Turning a betrayed gaze back over to Naruto, Natsu jumped forward and caught a fistful of the blonde's shirt in his hands. "Why do you get to be involved in this huh? That's totally not fair! I WANT IN!"

Chuckling, Naruto shook his head. "Hey, blame Laxus for you not being allowed out! It's not my fault you're in here."

Hearing a crack in the rock figured behind them, the group turned their eyes over to watch as a few small fissures formed over the girls before the stone exploded upward in a rainbow of colours. Grinning as the girls dazedly looked around, the trio of men started running forward to meet the newly resurrected women. "Erza!"

Looking over to see who called her, the red-head didn't have a chance to answer when she was blindsided by a small brunette girl who instantly buried her head into the taller girl's chest and started balling her eyes out. Blinking confusedly down at Millianna, Erza rubbed her head as she then looked around for some clue as to what was going on.

Having completely forgotten about those three, Naruto looked off to the side and saw Wally and Shou standing there, the latter having his hand covering his heart in relief. Jogging over to them, Naruto raised a hand. "Yo! Are you guys ok? Where have you been?"

Chuckling nervously, Shou scratched his cheek. "To tell you the truth, after everything went to hell we went and hid in the bathrooms. We had no idea what was going on or what to do, so we thought being out of the way was best." Casting another relieved gaze over towards Erza, Shou continued. "After seeing Erza frozen solid, we panicked really badly. I feel like everything is ok now that they are all back to normal."

Nodding, Naruto grinned and looked over at the still dazed girl. "Yeah, everything should be better now."

Tipping his hat, Wally cleared his throat. "Well, we owe you a great deal Naruto. We overheard your dandy promise to release the girls and as such, you saved us a very dear friend. We are in your debt, get it?"

Chuckling, Naruto scratched his head. "Awww, it was nothing. You'd have to be heartless to not do something so don't mention it."

Nodding thankfully, the square man then looked over at the door. "That was quite the impressive magic talent you displayed earlier too. I have never seen so many clones produced before, get it?"

Smirking crookedly, Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, just a skill of mine. Anyway, come and check Erza over. I don't know if she knows what happened while frozen so she might need some filling in."

Leading the way, Naruto then let the two men overtake them him as they aimed for their old friend. Letting them have their moment, Naruto wandered over to the rest of the group as they were filled in by Makarov. Just before he got there though, Naruto had to catch himself as an onslaught of memories assaulted his brain painfully. Resisting the urge to hold his head, Naruto closed his eyes for a moment as he waited for everything to settle. It seemed like Laxus had gone genocidal on his clones. He was pissed.

Amidst the scenes of carnage though was Naruko's memory, the girl swearing up a storm at the nerve of Evergreen. Sweating slightly, Naruto thankfully buried the memories and tried not to think of what could have happened is his female counterpart been in the dash for Ever. Returning from the memories, Naruto walked up and tried to catch up on what had been said.

"...Battle of Fairy Tail? Why'd he pull a dumb stunt like that?"

Glancing over at Cana, Makarov shrugged and Naruto pursed his lips as he tried to work out what she'd said. "It doesn't matter. It's over now so that's all that counts. With you all free, there's nothing for Laxus to threaten us with."

Glancing worriedly over at the door, Mirajane twiddled her fingers as they heard another distant boom. "But what about everyone that got hurt while looking for Laxus?"

Clenching a fist angrily, the green haired beauty Bisca growled and glared at the door. "Yeah! Laxus better be looking forward to an extremely harsh punishment after this!"

Clenching his teeth, Makarov looked off to the side. "It seems like the punishment after his first attack on Naruto here was too light. I'll make sure to really drill home he does not do this sort of thing! He has really gone way too far this time."

Glancing down at the old man, Naruto couldn't help but think that he mightn't have done all that much in the first place. He wasn't about to question it though so held his tongue.

"Hold on one second old man." The group glanced over at Natsu as he held a hand out. "There isn't anything wrong with the idea of trying to find the strongest mage is there?" Hearing a contemplative hum from the girls, Natsu continued. "All I'm saying is don't be _too _hard on him, that's all."

Grinning widely at everyone as they stared at him, Natsu then ruined the mature air about him and smashed a fist into his palm. "So now that that's sorted, let's start Battle of Fairy Tail part two in here! Come at me, all of you!"

Heedless of the multiple cries of 'Stop!', Natsu ran over to Lucy and began boxing the air right in front of her. "I mean, come on, we haven't even done anything yet!"

Doing her best to ignore the undeniably powerful attacks bare inches from her face, Lucy just turned away. "Please, we just woke up from being cast solid in stone. Give us a chance to recover would you?"

Tapping his chin worriedly, Happy looked over from behind Natsu and raised his paw. "Should you really be challenging girls like that?"

Sneering indignantly, Naruto raised his hands questioningly. "Bah, what the hell should _that_ matter? Guys or girls, they should all be able to fight!"

Looking a bit shocked, Happy watched as Natsu then proceeded to chase Lucy around the guild as he challenged her to a fight. "H-Harsh..."

All of a sudden, a table suddenly flew over from behind the bar, crashing loudly as it landed on several other tables before rolling to a stop. After restarting their hearts after the fright, the group looked over to see a spiky black mane poking up from over the bench top.

"G-Gajeel? What are you doing back there? I thought you'd be out in the middle of all this!"

Hearing Mirajane call his name, the dark mage raised his head as he chewed on a few bolts he had stolen from the table just thrown. "And don't eat the tableware!"

Ignoring the last comment, Gajeel swallowed licked his lips. Standing, he tucked his hands into his pockets and wandered over. "Out fighting that lot? Not worth my time."

Gazing up at him hopefully, Makarov ventured to ask, "So are you gonna try and fight Laxus?"

Smirking at the name, Gajeel looked back at the door and cracked his knuckles. "Normally I couldn't give two damns but I got a bone to pick with Sparky. I'll have this sorted in ten minutes."

Walking confidently to the door, the mage went to step through but stopped flat against the barrier as it denied him passage. Unable to believe his eyes, Makarov gasped and shouted, "Not you too?"

Punching the wall, Gajeel stepped back and stared up. "What the hell is this? Who wants their ass kicked?"

Running up to him, Natsu started looking him over in surprise. "What, you're over eighty? Holy cow, I'd have never guessed!"

Bristling, the mage pushed Natsu away. "Of course I'm not you retard!"

Growling, Natsu made to attack but paused when he heard a weird noise coming from the doorway. The rest of the group turned to look up at the barrier across the door as thousands of angry red symbols flashed across its surface. The lettering began to break away from the surface and fly across the room, latching onto one another and eventually forming a giant, floating red skull.

"Can you hear me old man?"

Frowning, Makarov glared up at the thing as Laxus's voice drifted from it.

"Everyone else in the guild too. It seems we've lost one of our rules thanks to a certain blond menace here, and I'm not talking about the girl." Unable to hear the indignant yelp from Lucy, the voice continued. "To keep everything fun, I've gone and instigated a new one! I have activated **Hall of Thunder**."

Gasping in disbelief, Makarov repeated his grandson. "**Hall of Thunder?**"

Heedless of the shock, Laxus persisted. "You all have just over an hour and a half. Still think you can beat us? Or will you retire, _Master_?"

Growling as Laxus laughingly mocked his title, Makarov could do nothing but glare up at the head. As it began to glow, the voice of Laxus hummed in afterthought. "Oh and Naruto, I hope you can do better than that. Otherwise your death will be swift and painful."

Chuckling again, the head suddenly exploded into the thousands of symbols that comprised the enormous skull before fading with the laughter. As everyone began mumbling amongst themselves, Makarov abruptly burst out, "Damn it Laxus, what the hell are you thinking? Are you that desperate for the title that you're willing to drag innocent lives into this?"

Suddenly the old man lost his breath and tumbled to his knees. Painfully grasping his heart, the man winced before falling flat on his face.

"MASTER!"

Dashing over to his side, Bisca rolled him into the recovery position. "He needs his medicine, stat!

As Mirajane ran off to grab his medicine, Naruto stared down at the usually indomitable old man as he lay twitching on the floor. He felt like he should say something or try help or… or anything, but there was nothing. Seeing him lying there looking so old and frail seemed to pull at the teen's heart and he found himself desperately hoping it was just a small panic attack.

Heels clicked crisply down the stairs as Mirajane returned with a small bottle of tiny green pills in her hands. Her main worry surprisingly wasn't Makarov though as she pointed to the roof. "Everyone, get outside and look up!"

Leaving Makarov in the barmaids capable hands, the group dashed up the stairs and out onto the balcony. Reaching the railing, everyone shielded their eyes for a moment as they adjusted to the sunlight. Once the glare faded though, a number of them gasped at what they saw.

A gigantic ring of small balls encircled the entire town, their numbers looking like they were well past five hundred. Each one was a perfect replica of the last with the main body of it being a clear crystal with a single jagged lightning bolt rotating in the center of it. A metal brace was strapped around its horizontal axis, large spikes sticking out from them menacingly. These in turn were rotating with the energy inside as they held the balls together.

While most everyone knew what was going on, Naruto noticed Natsu looking just as clueless as he was feeling so raised a questioning hand. "Uh, can someone explain what's happening for those of us who don't know what's going on?"

Having been around the guild longest, Cana spoke up with a fair amount of confidence. "It looks like those things are Thunder Lacrima. If that's the case, each one of those crystals can hold an enormous amount of electrical energy. So the **Hall of Thunder** is most probably exactly what it sounds like…"

Gasping, Lucy looked up at the tall girl before casting her gaze back out over the town. "Don't tell me he's targeted Magnolia itself?"

Pointing at one of the orbs, Lucy frowned in thought. "So what would actually happen if one of those things discharged?"

Shaking her head gravely, Cana sighed. "It would unleash a massive bolt of lightning. Add them all together and the entire town could be swallowed up by an uncountable number of lightning strikes."

"Like hell I'm gonna just stand here and let that happen. **Requip: Sniper Rifle**." Pulling another one of those guns from the air, Naruto stepped back as Bisca lined up one of the orbs with the scope. Taking her time, she gently squeezed the trigger until a bang went off and an impossibly fast bullet of green magic hurtled towards the ball.

Maybe a second or two later, the ball exploded in a brilliant flash of light as it disintegrated. Smirking, Bisca raised the rifle and reloaded. "One down, way too many to count left to go. Anyone else who wants to help ca – AHHHHH!"

Shrieking in surprise as a jolt of energy coursed through her body, the girl then lit up with a bright light as the main body of the shock hit her. Screeching as her muscles contracted excruciatingly, Bisca quickly lost all the air in her lungs and was left silently screaming as the last of the electricity left her form. Now having nothing to contract her muscles, the girl slumped to the floor, burnt and unconscious. Smoke drifted from her form as the unpleasant smell of charred hair filled the air and when she finally let out a ragged cough, everyone awoke from their stupor and rushed to her side.

"Bisca? Bisca! Wake up! Please wake up!"

Levy knelt beside the mage, desperately slapping her cheek in an attempt to wake her. She remained unresponsive though and Juvia knelt beside Levy to help recover her.

Looking up at the sky, Lucy tearfully covered her chest as she gazed at the spot the Lacrima once sat. "Did… did that thing do that?"

Sighing, Cana crossed her arms as she watched the mages work on Bisca. "No doubt. That must have been **Living Link**. Any damage caused to the object instantly gets transferred back to the attacker."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Lucy pointed a panicking finger up at the balls. "And _that_ is aimed at the town?"

Growling, Cana turned and started running for the door. "We need to stop Laxus NOW. Get moving!"

Watching as most of the girls dispersed, Natsu screamed angrily and tried to jump off the roof. Slamming into the barrier again the enraged teen began beating at the wall mercilessly. Watching him vent, Naruto clenched his fists in frustration. He felt every bit as trapped as Natsu, but unlike him he couldn't even touch the confounded thing to unleash some anger on!

Dipping into his mind, Naruto searched until he found the fox lying within its cage looking out in amusement. "Can't you do anything to break past this? Or any ideas or something?"

Chuckling, the massive beast eyes up its captor. **_"You expect me to help you? You're not about to die, so why should I bother?"_**

Growling, Naruto shook his head in frustration. "But could you? Even if you wanted to?"

Smiling, the beast's eyes twinkled. **_"Oh, without a doubt. However, that would involve me filling the area with so much chakra that it simply exploded and anything with me would die… like that pretty little human you have taken a liking to."_**

Looking away, Naruto didn't meet the fox's eyes as it snickered. It was right, there was no way Naruto would go and do something like that. Leaving without a further word, Naruto blinked as he came back.

"…could do something about it!"

Having missed out on the first part of Levy's sentence, Naruto stared blankly at her as Natsu crowed happily. "Can you really do that? That would be awesome!"

Nodding, the girl grinned and looked up at Naruto. "Can you take Bisca to the sick bay? I'll get started on these runes now!"

Having guessed that the girl may be able to unravel the runes, Naruto nodded and walked over before gently picking up the injured mage.

"I'll leave her to you." Calling the other two men, Levy dashed from the balcony and disappeared into the guild.

Nodding, Naruto followed their path but at a slower pace for his cargo. Now to find the ward.

XxXxXxX

It took five minutes but Naruto eventually put Bisca down to rest. Makarov had been transferred in and was resting comfortably in the bed beside her. Making sure they were both breathing easily, Naruto gave them one more check over before turning from the room and running downstairs.

Reaching the main guild hall, Naruto found Levy crouched over a number of books with Gajeel watching on, the man looking thoroughly lost. Natsu was standing at the doorway again repeatedly head butting the barrier while muttering obscenities under his breath. It was more or less what he had expected to find.

Reaching the two that were actually doing something productive, Naruto crouched down and looked at the page in front of Levy as it was covered rapidly in her scripts. She was muttering something about Guile grammar and some other things that probably involved runes that Naruto had never heard before. Leaning over to Gajeel, Naruto whispered, "Do you know what she's doing?"

It was a false hope. "Do I look like I know what she's doing? The brat's a freaking genius. I can't understand a thing she says."

"Oh-ho! Lucy won!"

"Eh?"

Looking over at Natsu, Gajeel and Naruto found him standing back and looking up proudly at the scoreboard. Blinking as he remembered the cheerleader, Gajeel shook his head when he saw who she defeated. "Wait, you're telling me that little girly girl actually managed to beat Bickslow? How?"

Grinning, Natsu just crossed his arms confidently. "Lucy is strong!"

Naruto also wasn't too sure about that. From what he'd seen, she was the show girl who didn't really take part in much fighting. "You sure you're sure? She has always come across as pretty weak if you ask me."

Still smiling, Natsu shook his head. "Nah, she is pretty tough, she just doesn't like to fight."

Gajeel grunted as he stared up at the board. "She picked the wrong guild to join then. This place does nothing _but_ fight."

Jumping to the defence of his teammate, Natsu raised a fist. "What was that? Lucy totally belongs here!"

Instead of backing off, Gajeel matched Natsu in ferocity as he explained himself. "Grow a brain and realise I didn't mean it like that! Honestly, I can see why Gray can't stand you."

As they began to deteriorate into a fight, Levy suddenly jumped up excitedly, a piece of paper clasped between her fingers triumphantly. "THIS IS IT!"

Quite surprised by her outburst, Naruto had rocked back onto his backside and now sat with his feet out and hands behind to support him. Blinking up from his seat, he gazed at her owlishly. "What is it?"

Running to the barrier, Levy began running her pen across the runes as a pattern began to shape itself. "If I go through the text mapping the characters with the corresponding frequency into the Guile grammar, and then convert that into rogue…."

With one final tap of the pen, the impenetrable wall of unspeakable frustration suddenly lit up green. "You guys… are you ready to take part in the battle of Fairy Tail?"

Nearly wetting himself in excitement, Natsu danced around the other two men as they nodded enthusiastically. "Let's get the show started! Laxus! Watch your back 'cause we are coming for you!"

Grinning, Levy swiped her pen across the green symbols and they instantly disappeared into nothingness. "Good! Now make sure you all split up to cover more ground."

Vanishing out the door, Natsu screamed something that sounded agreeable as he disappeared into the streets. Gajeel grinned and shot out next, the thickly set mage taking off in the opposite direction. Lastly, Naruto began to move but was stopped when Levy called out to him. "Make sure you beat Laxus for us. If Natsu fails I don't think there's anyone else who could."

Smiling reassuringly, Naruto gave her the patented good-guy pose. "Like you even needed to ask. I'll have this wrapped up in no time."

He then disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving Levy to stand and look out the door worriedly.

XxXxXxX

Dashing down the streets, Naruto frowned as he headed for the spot his clones battled Laxus. It had been up the side of a mountain where he had defeated Evergreen and Laxus hadn't been too far behind that. Hopefully that meant it was his base of operations and that he'd still be there.

Flashing out of the village, Naruto sprinted toward the cliff face. Dashing up it, Naruto hopped from one rock to another as he rapidly scaled the precarious area. Landing solidly on an outcrop, Naruto growled as he stood up. He'd been trying to feel for the man but so far there hadn't been any sign of the lightning mage. By this stage Naruto strongly doubted he was here anymore and kicked a rock as he looked around.

Cursing himself in his haste, Naruto hadn't put much thought into things when he left the guild and as such hadn't even considered using **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) **to find him. Punching a boulder, Naruto felt his stomach flutter as he looked up.

There were still the tell-tale signs of Laxus's presence, but nothing of the mage himself. Cursing again, Naruto spun around as his stomach gave another heave. Holding it, the blond looked down in concern. The stress was really getting to him for some reason this time. It really wasn't the place to be letting the feelings get the best of him though so the blond did his best to bury the butterflies.

Crouching, Naruto prepared to enter **Senjutsu **when suddenly his stomach gave a mighty heave and dropped him to his knees. Groaning as he felt something begin to be forcefully dragged from him, Naruto screwed up his face as he tried to reel back in whatever it was. The strength of the pull was too much however and Naruto cracked open an eye a fraction to see what was happening.

What met his eye caused him to snap both open in growing horror and disbelief. Thick, vile red chakra was bubbling out from his stomach, the viscous mass slowly creeping its way up and over his form. Panic started to set in and with fearful swipes of his growing claws, tried to push the thick shroud from his torso.

Heedless of any attempt to remove it, the chakra continued to cover his body and Naruto let out a distressed howl that echoed off the mountains for miles around.

'WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME?'

Diving into his subconsciousness, Naruto dashed into the lair of the Kyuubi and skidded to a stop before it. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

Sparkling red eyes danced in delight as the monstrous fox leant down to look closely at its panicking jailer. **_"Me? Oh stupid child, what makes you think I am doing anything?"_**

Naruto pointed condemningly at the masses of vile chakra pouring out from the cage, rivers of it disappearing into the surrounding room. "Oh I dunno, maybe all your chakra just flowing into me is a bit of a hint? WHAT DO YOU THINK?"

Thoroughly enjoying the torment Naruto was suffering, the fox crossed its front legs and rested its mammoth head on them, an insufferable grin etched into its face. **_"I think you are as brain-dead as I have always claimed. I have been trying to free myself of you since the day I was thrown into this cage. I haven't succeeded up until now, so why would that have changed? Whatever this is, is external to my influence. Surely that must relieve you somewhat to know that I have no part in this interesting development."_**

Clutching his head, Naruto tried to block out the dark laughter that rumbled though the room. _"Come on Naruto, think! It's not Kyuubi, so what could it be? There's gotta be an explanation!"_

Looking up at the smug fox one last time, Naruto shook his head and pulled himself from the room, the dark laughter once again filling the sewer and chasing him all the way out.

Shaking his head as he came back, Naruto stared down at his fingers as his nails sharpened and thickened. Finally stopping as the transformation completed, Naruto's super acute hearing picked up the piercing shriek of a woman in the distance.

Looking up, Naruto made out a veritable pillar of thick, black energy reaching up into the sky. Realising that had to be the source of the problem, Naruto crouched before exploding off the rock face and rocketing across the sky towards the black magic.

Reaching the other side of the town in record time, Naruto landed heavily on the ground, a wide crater holing out around him as he landed. Hearing several booms off in the distance, Naruto followed his ears and dashed after the sound.

Drawing near, Naruto's eyes began to widen as he looked up at the airborne combatants. One was Freed and the other was… Mirajane?

Shaking his head, Naruto had another look in case he miss took the person. But again, what he saw left him in no doubt that it was the girl, just… different.

Her outfit had changed drastically, the once maroon dress now replaced by a skin tight, bright purple latex piece that just barely covered her modesty. The front of it was cut all the way down to just above her pelvis with ample amounts of cleavage and stomach open for all to see. Her forearms had been replaced by scaly, amphibious like limbs that ended in a massive clawed hand. Purple leggings rose high up her legs, the material so fitting it almost looked glued on. Multiple cracks covered her exposed skin, giving her flawless features the illusion that they had begun to chip away.

Her usually long hair was now standing up wildly into the air, defying gravity blatantly by only leaving a single lock hanging down over her clearly enraged face. Her now elf like ears stood out clearly, the long tips twitching occasionally as the wind blew around her. Rising back from her shoulders were a set of black, bat like wings that was complimented by a thick black, segmented tail that thrashed around agitatedly from her lower back.

Unable to deny what he was seeing, Naruto pushed chakra into his feet and flew up to meet her. Before he could get close though, the girl vanished in a blur Naruto would have been hard pressed to follow her movements if he currently wasn't covered in the Kyuubi's chakra. Dashing in, she reared back a clawed fist and in a shocking display of strength, lashed out and nailed Freed square in the middle of his chest. A shockwave exploded out from the point of impact and the man was blasted back violently, blood shooting from his mouth as internal damage was dealt. Seeing her ready to kick off after him, Naruto flooded chakra into his limbs and vanished from sight to reappear right in front of an astonished Mirajane.

"N-N-Naruto! W-What happened to you?"

Grimacing as he looked down at his thick bubbling coat, the blond could feel his abnormally sharp teeth pressing against his lips. Glancing back up at Mirajane, he frowned. "I could ask the same thing. What the hell is that?"

His gravelly voice sounded strange to his ears but did the job. Pulling her lips into a thin line, Mirajane made a sweeping motion over her own body. "This is my magic, **Satan Soul**. Mind telling me what that is then?"

She pointed at the vile chakra bubbling around him and Naruto growled. Forcing himself to remain clear headed, Naruto took a breath and nodded. "This… this is a little curse I was stuck with from birth. I house a demon fox in my body."

Surprisingly, the girl didn't recoil in shock but rather widened her eyes in surprise and furrowed her eyebrows. "Y-You mean, you have demonic powers too? Why didn't you tell us?"

Looking away, Naruto frowned and almost unnoticeably shook his head. "I'll tell you later. For now though, I really need to talk with you."

Glancing over his shoulder, Mirajane growled. "Make it quick then. Freed could be back at any moment."

Nodding, Naruto cut the story down. "I was looking for Laxus and suddenly the seal that suppresses the fox started leaking chakra. I have no idea how it happened and neither does it. When I saw that massive pillar of black magic though I thought that had to be the reason."

Hearing a crumble behind them, the two looked over as Freed tried to make his escape. Hissing angrily, Mirajane made to push past Naruto but the teen lashed out and gripped her arm in a vicelike hold. "Where are you going? Don't you know what I could do?"

Snatching her arm away, the barmaid pointed at him. "Is whatever it is getting worse?"

"Uh…" Looking down at himself, Naruto realised whatever it was had seemed to stabilise. "No? I don't think so."

Pointing down at the city, Mirajane then frowned. "So get down there and clobber Laxus. You got that strength? Then damn well use it."

Growling as the girl seemed to knock his cares away, Naruto snarled a response. "What the hell are you thinking? This thing could be unleashed on your town if it's not held captive! If that happened, I could kill Laxus and destroy the entire city!"

Raising an eyebrow, Mirajane floated back slowly. "You have enough of a mind to not rampage and kill me now. You can easily tell me of the dangers so that means you should be safe enough to destroy that punk who tried to ruin our guild!"

Nearly screaming in frustration, Naruto made to object again when Mirajane cut him off with a confident glare. "You think you're the only one fighting those urges? I am housing _SATAN'S SOUL RIGHT NOW! _If I can keep my mind while like this, then you can too!"

Face softening at the revelation, Naruto narrowed an eye as he studied the woman. "You seriously believe this evil could help us right now?"

Mira scoffed at his question mockingly. "What the hell do you think? My magic is based on evil! Now quit bitching to me like a pussy; go find Laxus and punch that faggot a new ass hole!" Her cold blue eyes then flashed angrily as she turned. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dead man who thinks he can touch my brother to find."

Growling wildly, the girl flapped her wings once and shot away in pursuit of her target.

Watching the girl he thought he knew disappear, Naruto couldn't help but look down at his hands questioningly. Did she honestly believe this curse could be used for good? Last time he had used it, he badly injured Sakura and from that day onward, vowed to use only his own strength to defeat his enemies. To be given such an outlook from someone in the exact same position as him (and with a sane mind he might add) really had the blond thinking.

Closing his clawed hands slowly, Naruto took a breath and looked out over the town. It looked like it was time to try and find Laxus. Letting himself fall forward, Naruto charged his feet with chakra but cut the output when a worried voice below him called his name.

"N-Naruto?"

Looking down, he saw Cana and Elfman staring up at him in shock, the taller mage carrying an unconscious Juvia in his arms. Grasping her own arm uncertainly, Cana bit her lip as his eyes rested on her. "Is that you?"

Looking out at the town, Naruto sighed. He'd regret it if he didn't at least check on them.

Dropping down, the blond landed gently before them. Raising an arm in greeting, Naruto attempted a smile. "Hey, you guys ok?"

Shivering from the intent that was washing off Naruto, Cana steeled herself and frowned. "A-Are you ok? What is that… _stuff_ around you?"

Frowning, Naruto shook his head. "Not yet. I'll tell you all later once this has been dealt with. Are you hurt?"

Shaking her head, Elfman answered this time. "No, we are mostly ok. Juvia tackled one of those Lacrima in the sky and knocked herself out, but she should be alright."

Despite them brushing away their injuries, Naruto couldn't help but notice the large number of freely bleeding scratches and grazes covering their bodies. Cana and Elfman didn't look too stable either, both being a little wobbly on their legs. Still, if they said they were ok then they were ok. Fairy Tail mages were bred tough.

Tentatively reaching out, Cana tried to touch Naruto but flinched as the bubbling red mass around him burnt her fingers. Frowning worriedly, she checked her hand and then looked back up at the blond. "So are you ok? Within that burning stuff?"

Nodding, Naruto smiled resignedly. "Yeah, I have a pretty good healing factor while like this."

Pursing her lips, Cana then nibbled her lower one worriedly. "Well, if you say so…."

Grinning, Naruto winked at her and jumped into the air. "Yeah, I do. Anyway, I gotta go find Laxus now."

Beginning to rise, Naruto paused as Elfman called out, "Wait, have you seen where my sister went?"

Suddenly a thunderous explosion filled the air, an enormous black ball cutting the blue sky from sight as it rapidly grew in size. Moments later, a vile shockwave washed over them and then in turn the village as whatever it was unleashed its power.

Hearing the cries of the mages, Naruto fought the violent winds and shot in to catch them as they were thrown head over heels. Rushing as best he could, Naruto got them down to a sheltered area behind a rock. Though he hurried, when he checked them over he found their skin red and angry after having touched his own. Still, he stood tall and protected their beaten bodies with his own as he deflected any uprooted rocks away from them.

After what seemed like an eternity, the winds subsided and the black faded to reveal the world. Stepping back from the trio, Naruto frowned down at them as they gingerly held their newest injuries. "Are you ok?"

Wincing, Elfman managed a pained smile and a thumbs up. "Nothing lasting. Thank you for catching us too, such a feat was incredibly manly."

Chuckling and then wincing from the pain it brought, Cana opened a tearful eye and smirked up at Elfman. "Well we know he's alright if he can sprout 'manly' quotes like that."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so. I guess that answers your question too."

Pulling himself painfully to his feet, Elfman then helped Cana up. "Yeah, it's hard to miss when Mira goes all out like that."

Looking over at where she was currently running rampant, the blond narrowed his eyes slightly as he studied the dots. "She seemed way angrier than usual while I spoke with her too. What did Freed do?"

Sighing and rubbing his head, Elfman looked down slightly. "It's not just Freed's fault. That is a side effect of her magic and she gets… agitated while in that form."

"You're telling me." Taking his eyes off the battle, Naruto looked over to the town center. "I gotta go now. Take care of yourselves."

"Yeah, you take care too."

Nodding, Naruto didn't answer and took to the sky before shooting out to the town in a red streak.

XxXxXxX

Soaring over the rooftops, Naruto's eyes flicked around as he tried to spot any sign of Laxus. What he did see were masses of people pointing up in shock, but none that seemed distracted by something bad happening. That must have meant Laxus was still in hiding so Naruto dipped in closer to hopefully see things better.

Whipping his head from side to side, the blond growled angrily as more and more streets were searched and found empty. There were only so many places a mage as powerful as Laxus could hide though so he was going to turn up soon one way or another.

Hearing a boom off to his left, Naruto pulled to a stop and looked over to see a great dust cloud billowing out from the church. "That must be it."

Turning, the blond kicked off and shot over to land solidly at the entrance to the massive building. Running inside, the first thing he saw was Erza and Natsu standing there, looking on in shock as a familiar stack of clothing faced off against Laxus. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Naruto blinked. "Mystogan? When did you get here?"

He wasn't paying much attention however as he was far too focused on trying to cover his unclothed face. Unfortunately for him, Natsu and Erza had both seen it and Erza in particular was shocked to her core by what she saw. "Jellal… you are alive?"

Natsu was a bit more confused than anything, wondering why this guy had the face of one of his enemies. "You… weren't you at the Tower of Heaven?"

Turning his head down the blue haired man sighed resignedly. "Of everyone Erza, I wanted you to see my face the least."

Gasping slightly, the female mage twitched like she had been slapped.

"I'm not Jellal. I know him, but I'm not him."

Falling silent, the mage stared down the two newcomers. Curiosity more than anything was in Natsu's eyes, but Erza was currently filled to bursting with emotions. Pain, confusion, hurt, betrayal and hope filled her eyes as they and hundreds of other feelings rushed across her face. Unable to meet her gaze, Mystogan closed his eyes painfully and turned. "I'm sorry, I'll leave the rest to you."

He then exploded into a misty cloud and the remains of his form drifted away in the wind. Not just ready to see him disappear yet, Natsu held a hand out angrily and cried out at him to wait a moment. His shout went unanswered as all remains of Mystogan disappeared and the teen dropped his arm defeatedly. "I have absolute no idea what is happening right now…."

Shaking his head resolutely, the usual fire in his eyes returned and Natsu turned his glare to Laxus. "I'll think about that later. For now though, I have come to fight you!"

Turning to his companion, Naruto held an arm out. "Erza! You sit this out! I got it covered."

Getting no response, Natsu frowned and called her name again. "Erza!"

Bursting out laughing, Laxus suddenly thrust an electrically coated arm in Erza's direction. "Wipe that ridiculous look off your face, girl!"

A sudden burst of movement collided with the lightning bolt and grounded it into the floor. An explosion of stone and dust erupted and blanketed the area as Laxus and Natsu took a step back in surprise.

When the cloud cleared, each were shocked to see Naruto standing before Erza with an arm outstretched. The most striking feature of him though was the fact he was hidden within a writhing mass of red, the almost liquid like substance coiling around his frame angrily. Sharp red eyes glared at Laxus for a moment before turning to Natsu. "Can you take distract that nuisance for a moment?"

Shaking away his surprise, Natsu grinned and crouched. "I'll have him beat in five minutes!"

Charging away in an explosion of fire, Natsu met Laxus head on and a shockwave of fire and electricity blew away from their point of contact. Ignoring the fight, Naruto focused as hard as he could and desperately began to pull the shroud of red chakra away from his hands. Bit by bit, his willpower overcame the coating of red and within a few seconds his hands were free of the burning substance.

Taking his chance, the blond snatched Erza up and carried her out of the church. Running a safe distance away, he dropped the girl just as his focus on the red coat wavered and the chakra ran back over his hands.

The girl was still staring off into the distance in shock and Naruto grumbled angrily as he looked down at his hands. Seeing a stick, Naruto grabbed it and poked Erza's face. "Oi, wake up. Now's not the time to be out of it."

Hearing a thunderous rumble emanate from the church, Naruto scowled and poked the girl harder. "Damn it, come back!"

A sudden flash of movement lashed out and Naruto easily caught the incoming attack. Letting go of her wrist before any damage was done, Naruto growled as Erza stared up at him in surprise. "N-Naruto? When did you get here? And what has happened to you?"

Frowning, Naruto poked a thumb over his shoulder at the church. "Long enough ago to see you freak out when you saw Mystogan. Was that really the time and place to have a mental breakdown?"

Looking away shamefully, Erza insecurely rubbed her arm. "N-No, but it was just such a shock seeing J… Mystogan."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto snorted. "Clearly. You nearly got electrified by Laxus in your comatose. I only just managed to stop it."

Widening her eyes in surprise, the mage then looked down. "Oh. Sorry."

Remembering to try stay calm, Naruto took a breath and fought back the angry feelings. "It wasn't your fault. I can see how it'd be a shock." Turning his gaze over to the church as more booms echoed out, Naruto frowned. Erza however, finally managed to have a good look at the thick coat over Naruto's form and frowned as she realised that this was where the high levels of killing intent were coming from. "So what is this thing over you? It feels… evil."

Looking over his shoulder at the mage, Naruto rolled his eyes. "Really can't be bothered telling you right now. Just wait until this mess is over and I'll tell everyone who wants to know." Standing, Naruto cracked his knuckles as he turned back to the church. "Anyway, Natsu is trying to hold back Laxus but I'd say he's nearly done. I'm surprised he's lasting this long against that pain in the ass as it is."

Blinking, Erza raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what are you going to do?"

Looking down at the girl, Naruto smirked and thumped his fist into his palm. "To take over from Natsu and destroy Laxus. You stay here and catch him."

Erza blinked again. "Eh?"

His grin darkening, Naruto began jogging to the church. "You'll know what I mean."

Running inside, Naruto was greeted with the sight of Laxus gripping one of Natsu's arms tightly as he repeatedly stomped the mages face into the floor. Any sign of struggle had since passed and the pool of blood growing under the mage was rather disturbing.

Eyes blazing, Naruto disappeared in a red flash. Slamming into Laxus with the force of a train, Naruto sent the mage rocketing into a tall pillar. A massive boom filled the room as Laxus was buried into the stone but Naruto paid that no attention. Kicking Natsu over, he breathed a sigh of relief as the mage let out a few sickly sounding coughs. Blood may have gone everywhere but it was mostly superficial from the looks of it. "Oi, you ok?"

Opening one eye, Natsu gazed up at Naruto and chuckled. "Y-Yeah, just give me a few more minutes and I'll finish him."

Giving the teen a flat look, Naruto crouched down. "Oh no you're not. Erza's outside and she needs you. Now go."

Reaching out to grab him, Naruto then had to jump back with his hands up to shield himself from the firestorm that exploded out from the young teen. It dimmed rapidly though and once the light faded, Naruto looked in to see Natsu pushing himself up to his feet, eyes alight in defiance. "Oh yes I am. This is MY fight! YOU go help Erza, Laxus is mine to deal with. Now get out of my way!"

Not quite expecting the vehement denial of his help, Naruto frowned slightly as Natsu looked over at the destroyed column. It was a bit of an eye opener too as Naruto had honestly expected to have to deal with everything as he did back home. Like with his promise to bring Sasuke back and having to deal with the Pein invasion…

Growling, Natsu charged past Naruto while the blond teen watched on detachedly. When was it that he had come to expect to have to deal with everything himself?

The pink haired mage slammed into Laxus as the man pulled himself from the rubble, sending both of them flying towards the back of the building with a loud smack. The blonds' eyes easily followed the pair as they suddenly split up and began attacking one another with various magic spells. Watching as they shot around, it was then that it really dawned upon the ninja that this was more of a family dispute than anything.

Had someone tried to step in between him and Sasuke while fighting, he imagined his reaction would have been much the same.

Hearing a boom and then the sounds of destroyed timber and stone hitting the floor, Naruto looked up to see that Laxus and Natsu had blown though the ceiling and were now continuing their dance outside.

Shaking his head, the blond turned and ran back outside and over to Erza. Seeing her raise her eyebrows in question, Naruto huffed softly to himself as he reached her before explaining. "Natsu wants this one to himself."

Smirking in understanding, Erza looked up as Natsu and Laxus continued their fight above the town. "I thought as much. He can be very passionate when it comes to some subjects. I would have been surprised if you had managed to get him away from this fight."

Grunting, Naruto conceded the point and looked up at the halo of orbs still surrounding the city. Hundreds still remained, each just waiting for the timer to finish so they could unload their charge into the innocent city beneath them. Ignoring a particularly loud roar from the fight just a few blocks over, Naruto pointed up at the balls and looked at Erza. "So what are we gonna do about those things?"

Chuckling, Erza looked over at Naruto humorously. "You haven't worked that out? We're going to destroy them all."

The blond blinked and then frowned questioningly. "But one was enough to knock out Bisca-san in one hit?"

Reaching out to pat Naruto's head, Erza quickly retracted her hand as it was burnt. Looking at her fingers, she regarded Naruto suspiciously. "Are you sure you are ok?"

Naruto sighed and nodded. "Yup."

Shrugging, Erza's grin returned and began glowing a bright gold. "I suppose I should have expected that. As for your previous question, it doesn't matter how many are hit, so long as we hit them all at the same time."

The bright light receded and revealed Erza standing confidently before the blond in all her chrome glory of **The Knight. "**Come now then, we don't want to waste time."

She then began running from the church, heading towards the centre of the town and prime position to hit as many Lightning Lacrima as possible. Wrinkling his nose, Naruto began following the woman. "This is gonna hurt like a bitch."

XxXxXxX

Being two of the fastest members of Fairy Tail, Naruto and Erza both made it to the center of the town with a minute or so. Skidding to a stop, Erza spun around and looked straight up as she held her hands to the heavens. Unprepared for the abrupt finish to their run though, Naruto found himself just barely dodging Erza and landing in an ungraceful crouch beside her. Wrinkling his nose in irritation, Naruto pulled himself to his feet. "So what now?"

Ignoring the edge to his voice, Erza held her arms steady. "Just watch."

Moments later, a circle of power exploded from the woman and bursts of light appeared above her as she called a vast number of her swords into existence. More and more glistened into existence as sweat began rolling down the mages head from the drain to her magic stores. "One hundred and ninety-eight… one hundred and ninety-nine… still not enough…"

Watching on in mild interest, Naruto noted that the tip of each sword was pointed up at the halo above, all just waiting to be deployed into the target. Grunting in effort as she pulled yet another sword into existence, Erza glanced over at Naruto and frowned as she saw him just watching. "Well don't just stand there, help me?"

Realising he'd been staring, Naruto nodded hurriedly and crossed his fingers. "**Kage Bunshin –**"

_"Hello? Can everyone here me?"_

Pausing in surprise, Naruto looked around as a voice suddenly called out from nowhere. "Who said that?"

Equally surprised but having more of an idea as to what was going on, Erza looked around for the person. "Warren?"

Either unable to hear the questions or just flat out ignoring them, the voice continued. _"Please, everyone look up at the sky! Quit any remaining fights and gather yourselves, we have to destroy those balls above the town."_

Looking around suspiciously, Naruto lowered himself and readied himself to be attacked. Seeing the defensive behaviour, Erza quickly enlightened him before the blond did anything drastic. "Naruto! Do not worry, this is one of Warren's magic abilities, **Telepathy. **He uses it to communicate over long distances."

Still looking around cautiously, Naruto narrowed his eyes. "I don't like it. It's creepy."

Rolling her eyes, Erza looked back up and cupped her ear as she attempted to amplify the voice. "Be that as it may, it is still a highly useful technique. So just grin and bear it for the moment."

Ignoring the grumbling teen, Erza turned her attention back to the voice as it floated though their heads again. _"Those are actually apart of one of Laxus's more powerful attacks and it is currently targeted at the city. We need to all hit them at the same time and take them out before his attack can activate."_

Nodding, Erza raised her voice. "Quite right. Though how did you know that, Warren?"

_"That voice… Erza? You all ok now?"_

Eyes widening in surprise, the woman cracked a smile. "Gray! So that's how Warren knew."

Suddenly, an onslaught of male voices filled the air as they all frantically asked if the rest of the girls were safe. Cringing as the crowd of voices assaulted her ears, Erza looked over to see Naruto slap his hand to his ears in an effort to block the voices out. He was muttering darkly to himself and the red shroud around him was beginning to lash about violently. Cautious of the strange development, she called out and did her best to calm the group. "Yes, yes, we are all ok now. You can all calm down."

Hearing a collective release of breaths, Erza allowed herself a small smile of success as Warren continued. _"Now that we know everyone is safe, everyone who can hear this needs to dust themselves down and attack the sky –"_

_"Warren you bastard, don't think I've forgotten about our fight just yet!"_

There was a pause after the interruption before Warren began frantically explaining his side of the story. _"Max! Look, I'm really sorry about that before but I was just so worried about the girls and everything that I wasn't really thinking all that straight if you know what I mean."_

Yet another voice then decided to but in and make its displeasure known. _"Laki? Can you hear me? Cause let this be a warning I'm coming to kick your ass once this is done!"_

More began filling the air as mages with severely hurt egos began trading threats and promises through Warren. Unfortunately, all who were connected could hear the fighting and it eventually turned into just one massively loud white noise as aggressive exchanges rapidly increased in volume.

Frowning as her head began to pound, Erza then hissed as something hot licked her exposed back. Turning around, she muffled a gasp as she saw the red aura covering Naruto whipping around angrily as his agitation grew. His hands were clamped over his ears and he was muttering something to himself repetitively. The killing intent was seemingly receding, but Erza had a feeling it was only a lull until it exploded. Shouting out, the mage did her best to reach Warren. _"Warren! Can you hear me? Cut off all contact from Naruto this instant!"_

The attempt to reach him however failed as her voice was only lost amongst the hundreds of others.

Then all of a sudden, a pressure suddenly seemed to bear down on her as it tried to push her into the ground. Hearing a number of cries in her mind, Erza realised everyone else was experiencing the same thing. A voice then ripped through her head and she smashed her eyes shut as it echoed around her skull painfully.

**_"SHUT UP!"_**

Her ears began ringing in pain despite the fact it was all mentally based, the voices all drowning out under the violent shout. A few moments later, the mage tentatively opened her eyes and looked around. Nothing seemed wrong thankfully so she pushed herself back up. Turning, her eyes then widened as she saw Naruto sitting on the ground in relief, a wide smile stretched across his face and his eyes closed in bliss. _"Thank you! Now that you have all clamped your noisy holes, just attack the damn balls above us and cut me off from this mind link thing. It's too freaking weird being able to hear everyone's thoughts."_

An unexpected snicker left Erza as she covered her mouth with her hand. What a strange lad he was. A soft muttering hesitantly began again, several voices complaining about their sore ears. Still, it was enough to silence the fighting and within time, the voice of Gray broke though. _"Well… I guess you know what we gotta do."_

Smirking at the efficiency of Naruto's shout, Erza called out to the guild. _"Here's the plan. Everyone focus towards the south. Naruto and myself have the north covered. We haven't much time left so make it snappy!"_

Hearing a number of subdued replies, Erza frowned. _"What was that?"_

_"Yes, sir!"_

The voices seemed to jump at the dangerous edge the powerful mages tone had. Nodding satisfactorily, Erza looked up. _"Good, we attack in thirty seconds."_

Cutting her link with the group, the red-head turned and called out to a still resting Naruto. "So will you be helping me?"

Ears twitching at her voice, Naruto nodded and pulled himself to his feet. "Yeah, I got this. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.**"

A loud pop went off and the two were suddenly surrounded by well over a hundred and fifty clones. Holding their arms out, a large gust of wind suddenly swept through the area as all of them began lifting off the ground.

"Oh, and Naruto?" A hundred pairs of red eyes turned to face Erza. "Don't get in the way of my swords."

Nodding compliantly, they began shooting up towards the balls as Erza flung her arms out. "Go, my blades!"

Jets of light suddenly burst forth from the grips as the hundreds of swords and axes leapt forward. Quickly bypassing the swarm of Naruto's, the multitude of blades were accompanied by hundreds of other attacks all over the city as the mage's of Fairy Tail all joined in on the assault.

Brilliant streaks of ice, water, flames and other undefined elements shot high into the sky, all aimed with one sole purpose. Moments later, the town of Magnolia was bathed in the most beautiful of rainbow lights as the exploding Lightning Lacrima mixed in with the attacks that destroyed them. Fragments of airborne crystals refracted the light over the city, illuminating it with wondrous shades of blues, greens, reds, yellows and purples.

The Naruto's that slammed into the Lacrima proved to be the icing on the cake as violently churning **Rasengan's** each clone held brought forth the deepest shade of red imaginable. As the clones exploded, the puffs of smoke retained the colour only to disperse over the city as the Lacrima blew up. The coating slowly drifted from there down into the streets where it dispersed into the air amidst the awe inspired gasps of the civilians.

Watching as the sky shimmered with colours, Erza placed a hand on her hip while her clothing changed back from **The Knight **to her usual garb. Naruto landed heavily beside her, his sharp teeth visible as his wide smile pulled his lips back. Glancing over at the woman, Naruto chuckled. "Not a bad effect there."

Nodding pleasantly, Erza sighed happily. "Indeed. Though I am more relieved than anything that the town is now safe."

A jump of sharp electricity then jumped between their bodies as the **Living Link** began to activate. Grunting, Naruto clenched and readied himself.

The world then lit up as lightning flooded his system, bolts of electricity visible everywhere as tiny charges fired off within his eyeballs. His lungs squeezed tight as they tried to force a loud scream from his mouth, only for his frozen throat to constrict his airways and reduce his pain to a pathetic whimper.

Erza didn't seem to have that same problem as the girl bellowed loudly, her voice joining the rest of the screams across the town as the guild members were electrified.

It seemed that Naruto and Erza had it the worst of everyone as their torment continued on even after the last of the screams petered out. Finally though, they were given relief as the electric shock cut off with a sudden abruptness. Muscles relaxing immediately, both teens toppled forward to land face down, each out cold before they hit the ground.

XxXxXxX

Groaning, Naruto slowly pulled his eyes open and blurrily stared out at the mound of red before him. Raising a stiff arm, he gently wiped at his eyes and looked again. This time, he could tell it was more than just a strange heap in the road, but was actually someone's head. Erza's to be exact.

Pulling himself upright, the blond winced as one last shock of energy coursed though his body before dissipating into the atmosphere. Looking to the sky, Naruto noted the sun had hardly moved, so he must have only been out for five minutes top. Shuffling over to Erza, Naruto reached out and grabbed her shoulder. "Oi, wake up. We still gotta see if Laxus has been taken care of."

Moaning softly, Erza's eyes fluttered as her consciousness slowly came back. Naruto snickered as her eyes rolled about in her head for a bit before they focused in on the teen above her. "…Naruto?"

Leaning back, the addressed boy nodded. "So you finally woke up hey?"

Struggling to pull herself up, Erza gave up after a moment and dropped back down. "How long was I out for?"

Naruto shrugged and looked up as a crash was heard from the far side of the town. "Not sure, about ten minutes? I only just woke up."

Another loud bang reached the two and Erza sighed unhappily as she looked toward the noise. "Typical Natsu, not allowing me a moments rest."

Rolling to her knees, Erza tried to pull herself up but winced as her muscles spasmed painfully. Chuckling, Naruto grabbed the paralysed mage and slung one of her arms over his shoulders and lifted her up. He could tell she didn't like it much but could understand the situation. "Don't worry, it's only until you can walk."

Nodding resignedly, Erza's eyebrows then peaked as she realised something. "Wait a second, where did that burning cloud go?"

Looking over himself, Naruto couldn't help but cheer a little when he realised it had indeed gone. "Hell yeah, this is awesome! Come on, let's get to Natsu already and watch him kick Laxus around the streets."

"But Naruto, you didn't tell me where that cloud went? Oi!"

Headless of Erza's indignant cry, Naruto began dragging her down the lane and towards the fighting.

XxXxXxX

Seeing the church finally come into view, Naruto whistled as another explosion rocked the building. "Wow, they're really taking it to each other in there."

Gently pulling her arm from Naruto's grip, Erza tried again to stand on her own feet and found to her satisfaction they were capable of supporting her weight again. As she steadied herself from another ground shaking explosion, a flash of blue and orange caught her eye as it ran in from another street. "Levy?"

Seeing the frantic pace she held, Naruto frowned and began running forward. "Something's wrong."

"Naruto!"

Ignoring the mages cry, Naruto picked up the pace and rapidly approached the church as Levy began screaming.

"Laxus, stop it!"

As she shouted it though, an ominous light began streaming out through the doors and windows of the church. Natsu's angry voice reached Naruto's earn not much later, his tone filled with panic. "Levy! Get away from here!"

Seeing the light's intensity growing, Naruto struggled to reach her as Natsu cried out again.

Ignoring the fire mage, Levy clenched her eyes shut and screamed at Laxus again. "Please… your grandfather is at deaths door! So stop this now!"

Hearing this, Naruto slowed a bit. Makarov, about to die?

Instead of a shocked silence however, a malicious laugh began echoing from the church. "Well that suits me just great! Looks like my chances of being Master just went up again! How lucky is that?"

Something snapped within Naruto and in a blaze of red the teen made a mad dash for the door as Laxus laughed again before screaming, "**Fairy Law!**"

Unfortunately, even with the burst of speed the light was growing far too rapidly. Making a split second decision, Naruto reached the small girl and only just managed to snatch her up before the attack hit her. Dashing away, Naruto covered her body with his own as the monstrous amount of power filled the air and washed over them.

Cringing as he expected whatever it was to dissolve his skin, Naruto dropped to his knees and did his best to shield the girl from the brunt of the damage. As the light enveloped them however, Naruto was surprised to find it wasn't a deadly, bone breaking blow at all. It was more soft and comforting than anything, and opening an eye the blond tried to see if there was any other part to the attack.

Despite his caution though, nothing more came and eventually the light faded leaving Naruto looking around in surprise. Slowly stretching out, the blond stood up and looked over to the strangely quiet church. The only detail of any interest was Freed creeping up to the entrance of the building, holding his side in pain and generally looking really worse for wear. It seemed Mirajane had taken quite the beat down to him.

Ignoring that for now, Naruto turned back to Levy and was confronted by the girl's fearful eyes looking up into his own. Hesitant hands reached out to touch him, but were retracted quickly as Naruto sighed. Swallowing, the girl looked up into the deep red eyes and tried to find a voice to question him with. "N-Naruto? What has ha-happened to you?"

Shaking his head, Naruto pulled the dark energy from his system back into the seal. This was not what he wanted to deal with right now.

As the latent intent whittled away to nothing, Levy unconsciously relaxed. Standing as he confirmed her ease, Naruto placed a hand on her head and pushed on a small smile. "Nothing permanent. I'm still me!"

Chewing on her lower lip, Levy nervously watched as Naruto stood up tall. "Well… just be careful then ok? That felt so… wrong."

Naruto couldn't help but warm even more towards the girl as she openly expressed her concern for him. Smiling more naturally, Naruto gave her thumbs up and winked. "When am I ever not? I'm awesome, nothing can hurt me!"

Managing a small grin, Levy nodded. "Y-Yeah!"

Turning, Naruto's eyebrows furrowed as he started jogging to the church. "I gotta go find out what's happening now. You stay somewhere safe!"

Not waiting to hear if she replied or not, Naruto picked up the pace and dashed over to the church as Freed collapsed against a pillar. Skidding to a stop, Naruto glanced in to see Natsu kneeling on the floor, Gajeel by his side. It seemed the iron man had joined in while he and Erza had been off destroying the Lacrima.

Laxus was then before them both, completely shirtless and gazing at his hands in utter confusion. Freed apparently had a good idea why and coughed a few times before forcing himself to talk. "Laxus… everyone in the town is safe. The guild, the civilians, everyone. Not a single person has been harmed."

Growling in disbelief, Laxus swiped the air before him as he began walking towards the man. "Impossible! My **Fairy Law** was perfect!"

Shaking his head, Freed clarified. "No, not that. It's your heart, Laxus. The spell was perfect, but you can't fool your magic. Deep down you still consider everyone here your ally, so the magic didn't affect them."

Stunned into silence, Laxus just gaped incredulously as the words sunk in. Naruto meanwhile just stared at Freed. He might have been a part of Laxus's group, but he seemed to want to maintain some form of order. Those were some wise words and coming from him, Naruto was hopeful it might change Laxus's outlook.

"No… everyone who opposes me is my enemy. They are all my enemies!"

It seemed like he still needed convincing though so Freed continued. "No they are not. That last spell just proved it."

Laxus began shaking as he lowered his head and Naruto relaxed a bit. Freed smiled warmly and began to shuffle towards the mage, hand outstretched. "That's right, it's ok. Come, let's go see your grandad."

A bolt of energy suddenly jumped from Laxus to a nearby rock with a loud crack and Naruto frowned.

"I don't give a damn about that fossil. To hell with him!" The mage's body began bulking up in size again as he began drawing on the dwindling amount of power in his reserves. "I'm not his grandson! I'm my own person!"

Flexing his muscles, an excess of electrical energy exploded from the blond mages form and filled the room. Windows and rubble were shattered and blown away respectively as hundreds of bright bolts filled the air. Freed struggled to hold his ground against the power and Naruto resisted the urge to rub his arms as all his hairs stood on end.

The massive man suddenly crouched and made to attack when a dark and very angry voice from behind him caused him to stop. "Yeah, we get that Laxus. Quit thinking you're so special."

Eyes white with fury, Laxus turned to see Natsu on his feet, glaring fearlessly up at him. "You think you get extra help 'cause you're the old man's grandkid?"

Flames began licking Natsu's clothes before a full blown firestorm exploded out from him. "Just shut up about him! Get over the blood relation dumbass, 'cause we all couldn't give two damns who you're related to!"

Fire and electricity filled the room as both super powers began fighting against each other for dominance. Shielding his face, Naruto took several steps back to get away from the dangerous light show. Voices shouted at one another from within the room but the blazing roar of flames and lightning was now so loud it drowned them all out.

Suddenly, Naruto found himself diving to the floor as a fireball shot just over his head as the two mages began fighting again. The roof was next to give way as both males exploded through it and raced into the sky, savage blows colliding with their opponent as they spiralled upwards.

Rolling to his feet, Naruto looked up as Gajeel, Levy and Freed joined him, each with their heads upturned to watch the impressive fight. While the three mages had their mouths hung open as they struggled to follow the rapid movements, Naruto was standing back a bit and had taken to throwing small punches and swipes through the air as he saw opportunities for Natsu to land blows.

The midair collisions lasted for a few moments longer before one final thunderous punch from Laxus sent Natsu spinning uncontrollably into one of the few undamaged sides of the church. Chunks of rock were sent flying everywhere, civilians crying out in panic as the massive things hurtled towards the ground.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

The people were saved though when a large cloud filled the area, fading to reveal a large number of orange clad blonds supporting the human sized blocks.

Another boom sounded out just after the first as Laxus suddenly rammed Natsu again, the teen crying out in pain as his chest was squashed. Looking down at their full hands as Natsu continued to shout, the multiple Naruto's all looked at each other and grinned.

XxXxXxX

"Why don't you just die? Seriously, give up, you don't stand a chance!"

Throwing Natsu over the roof, Laxus began stalking him, taking his time as he followed the wheezing boy. "You'll never beat m – OUCH!"

Slapping a hand to his head, Laxus suddenly looked down as his head throbbed from the surprise impact. Another blow landed heavily in the middle of his back and the mage was forced to his knees from the power. Growling, Laxus looked around to try and find the assailant. "Where are you coward? Show yourself!"

Hearing an annoying laugh behind him, Laxus turned to see the air above him filled with Naruto's, each holding an arm full of rubble. "Ha! You suck at dodge-rock!"

Seething in fury, Laxus opened a palm and faced it towards them. "That's not even a game you retard!"

Just as he was about to attack, Natsu suddenly smashed into his ribs and blew the mage head over heels into the distance. Glaring up at Naruto, Natsu shook an angry fist at the blond. "Oi, this was my fight! I already told you that! If I could fly I'd come up there and kick your ass too!"

Eyes thinning, Naruto sighed to himself. 'Did you seriously forget you were flying like thirty seconds ago?'

A clone next to him saved him the effort of a reply though as it just grinned and shouted back, "We're back up! You just keep doing your thing!"

Satisfied with the answer, Natsu smirked and smacked a fist into his palm. "Right, I can handle that. Time to teach a certain mage a lesson."

He didn't get much of an opportunity to fulfil his threat though as a massive fist-shaped ball of lightning smashed into the teen and promptly dropped him to his knees. "Don't make promises you can't keep brat."

Striding into view came Laxus again, a vicious snarl on his face as he looked down his nose at the boy. Unexpectedly, lightning boosted reflexes suddenly kicked in and he snatched a flying rock from the air and returned the projectile at double the speed to its owner. A clone abruptly disappeared and rubble rained down to the pavement as the rocks suddenly found nothing holding them up. Pointing a dangerous finger at the group of blonds above him, Laxus shivered in anger and spat at them. "Just keep throwing those rocks. Nothing will be able to protect you from me once I'm done with this gnat."

Hearing a thump, the enraged male growled as he saw Natsu pushing himself upright again. "Hey, I'M your opponent, not him!"

Snickering, Laxus nodded slowly as lightning began flaring to life around him again. "Alright, here, catch this. It'll burn you so bad even the ashes will disintegrate!"

Raising his arms into the air, Laxus began forming a massive spear out of pure energy. Large thunderclaps filled the air as more power drained into the attack and Naruto suddenly found himself very close to wanting to jump in.

Sparks flew all about a few more moments before the attack was hurled at Natsu, Laxus screaming its name in effort. "**Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!**"

The massive spear shot towards Natsu who despite his bravado, just barely had the energy to stand at the moment. His eyes widened in panic as the gold light bore down on him, desperately willing his body to move and yet finding himself staying quite stationary. Just moments before it smashed into him though, the current diverted and slammed into the iron club that was once Gajeel's arm.

Blinking in surprise, Naruto had to silently congratulate the iron mage on his quick thinking. His other fist buried into the earth acted as a powerful grounding rod which rapidly dispersed the power behind the attack, though Naruto could only wonder how his heart was handling such a powerful blow.

Natsu seemed to realise just how badly damaged Gajeel was after taking the blow for him and didn't let the sacrifice go to waste. Flames exploded to life around him and with a rage filled cry, charged the severely weakened Laxus. Weighing up another rock, Naruto hurled one in and distracted the blond male just enough for Natsu to nail him solidly on the jaw with a blazing fist.

Attack after burning attack followed as Natsu rushed the mage, not giving Laxus even an inch of room to catch his breath as the dragon slayer steadily burnt the man's skin to black.

In one final blow, Natsu began spinning his arms around rapidly, great lengths of ropey fire twisting out from his hands and lashing out to smash into Laxus like molten whips. As each blow connected, the cables exploded and further injured the mage as he screamed in pain. The explosions rapidly drew closer together until in one final boom, fire and smoke detonated and a charred body was thrown violently from the centre of the cloud to land heavily on the roof and slide to a stop.

During all this, Naruto just floated above the group and watched on, engrossed by the extremely back and forth fight. When Laxus finally lay still, the blond gave a little cheer and high-fived one of his clones. Dropping all their rocks, the clones dispelled themselves as Natsu let out a final victory roar before collapsing into an unconscious mess.

Hearing Levy give a little cheer from below as well, Naruto grinned and began lowering himself down to collect the unmoving bodies.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – most importantly, I will start with the translation of what Naruto said in Japanese up there. It means "I'd kill you before you could blink."_

**_So, I believe an apology is in order. It's been how many months I've been gone? Anyway, the reason for this is there comes a time in every writers life when he realises something is wrong. That something was this last chapter and honestly, I would kick myself for the level of writing in it if a bunch of lovely reviewers hadn't done it for me. _**

**_These people picked up that I clearly did something wrong and that this chapter was lacking greatly. Thankfully, this is fanfiction so I was able to go back and fix all the errors that were pointed out to me. The majority of these are found in the middle and end of the chapter. What I needed was a break to clear my mind after that and surprisingly, it seemed like I needed a great deal of time to get myself back into the groove._**

**_So now, I say I am extremely sorry for the wait, but I would much have reviewers angry at me for being tardy, rather than reviewers being angry because my writing turned to crap and they leave._**

**_So with that, I ask that you go over it again and report back to let me know if you enjoyed it more than the previous chapter. After this there will be a little filler and then I'll be sending Naruto off on a mini arc of his own. So stay tuned and hopefully this will be the last of the massive mistakes I make._**

_Time for the omake and I can't remember who told me this, but it's a scenario involving Gray (third person), Naruto, Juvia and a gay joke._

**Omake**

"Hey… Juvia, can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Hmmm?" Turning, the pretty blue haired girl was greeted with the unusually sombre face of Naruto.

Trying to smile, Naruto scratched his head awkwardly. "So, how are you? You know, after being frozen in rock and all that."

Smiling gently, Juvia was touched that he was that concerned for her health. "Juvia feels fine. A little stiff and sore perhaps, but nothing lasting."

Chuckling, Naruto nodded. "Good, good! Uh, look I have something I really gotta talk with you about if that's alright?"

Rather curious at the topic able to change the usually bright blonds' outlook so much, Juvia nodded. "Yes? We can speak now."

Sighing, Naruto dropped his hand. "Ok. Well, what I gotta say is gonna sound _really _weird, but remember I'm doing you a favour here."

Furrowing her eyebrows, Juvia nodded worriedly. Struggling to find a starting point, Naruto just gave up and looked the girl square in the eyes. "Well, I dunno how else to say it so I'll just say it. Gray hit on me. I think he likes boys."

As Juvia's eyes widened immensely, Naruto nodded sympathetically while internally he laughed uproariously. 'What did I tell you Gray? I'd do it!'

Putting an understanding hand on the quivering girl's shoulders, Naruto smiled grimly and helped her through it. "Look, sometimes these things happen. Don't take it too hard though, I'm sure there's someone else out there! I'm trying to help you ahead of time here so you don't waste effort, ya know?"

Her wide eyes remained unfocused and Naruto began to frown a little. Shaking her gently, he called her name. "Juvia? You still all there?"

Maybe this time he had overdone it a bit. Her wide eyes began to show a bit of life though and Naruto unconsciously took a step back as a powerful killer intent washed over him. 'What the hell…?'

Sharp blue eyes snapped into focus and locked with his own as the world around the two faded into black. Taking another step back in confusion, Naruto looked around worriedly. 'What? This wasn't meant to happen at all!'

Feeling the dangerous rise before him, Naruto gasped as Juvia apparently grew several feet, the girl now towering over him. Wide eyes met his and a dark voice growled out from the demonic young lady. "Rival in love. RIVAL IN LOVE!"

Sweating bullets, Naruto turned and bolted as the girl continued to scream abuse at him.

If she wants Gray that badly then who was Naruto to deny her that?

XxXxXxX

_Not bad aye? I thought it was a pretty awesome idea =D_

_Lanky Nathan_


	28. Chapter 28

Naruto sat against a stone wall, arms and legs crossed, his brow also furrowed in annoyance at his current predicament.

After having brought back Natsu and Laxus, the former was instantly swallowed into the medic's arms and patched up while Laxus was dragged in to see Makarov upon the Master's demand. It seemed that due to a timely appearance of his old medical friend Porlyusica, he was going to be alright. As such, the old man was extremely agitated and desperate to get things dealt with as fast as possible.

As soon as the blond menace was gone though, Erza had swept down on Naruto, dragged him into a small back room and requested he waited there until she gathered everyone. She didn't expand on what was going on, but there was no real need as it was pretty obvious what it was.

Sighing as he waited, Naruto turned his thoughts inward and wondered what he would do if he was Hokage and placed in a position like with Laxus. What would be a suitable reprimand for a ninja who had tried to kill an entire village? The simplest answer any leader would give would be execution, plain and simple. The risk of leaving someone like that alive was just too great.

Shaking his head though, Naruto frowned to himself. That wasn't what he wanted and he wasn't sure that's what Jiraiya-sensei would have wanted either. Perhaps a measure of their repentance could be taken? They would have to be put under strict watch for a few years along with a stripping of rank and abilities, but if nothing happened during that time it could be an effective rehabilitation. Death would have to be a last resort, saved only for the worst.

His thoughts were interrupted however as he sensed Laxus leave the medical room and begin walking away. What he didn't expect though was for the mage to turn, open a window and jump through it. Blinking in surprise, Naruto realised whatever had been said must have been of great shame to Laxus. Turning to watch the energy signature move away, Naruto looked back up to Makarov and realised he must have expelled him or something along the lines of that.

Frowning, Naruto shook his head. Expulsion isn't an option in his world as that would just drive the ninja to revenge against the village. It'd probably turn into something like the mess with Orochimaru, if he understood the story correctly. In any case, the Master seemed to be hesitant about telling everyone, if the pacing back and forth was any indication.

Anything further he may have pondered though was cut short as the door to the room was opened, revealing Erza flunked by several people. Striding inside, Erza glanced down at the teen on the floor as Mirajane, Cana, Elfman, Natsu and Levy all filed in behind the imposing woman. They mostly stayed on the other side of the room though, Levy in particular trying not to too blatantly hide behind Natsu. The door then swung shut and cut off the soft chatter from outside.

"What are you doing on the floor?" Breaking the silence before it got awkward, Erza raised an eyebrow as she motioned to the table and chair just off to her left.

Not making eye contact, Naruto put a hand to his knee and lifted himself up. "Sometimes I just like the floor better."

"Ah." Accepting the answer, Erza shrugged and let it pass. As per her usual blunt personality, the mage then bypassed any banter and cut straight to the chase. "So Naruto, I assume you know why we are all here?"

Sighing, the blond scratched his head and looked away. "Yeah, pretty obvious hey."

Interrupting anything Erza was about to say, Mirajane stepped up and quickly filled him in. "We are all just curious about that power you gained back there. I think I have a bit of an idea, but you'd best explain it to everyone. I haven't said anything in case I got it wrong…"

Looking over at the ivory haired beauty, Naruto allowed a small smile of thanks onto his lips. Before it could be taken any further though, Erza spoke again. "We wish to know what it is and why it felt so evil. I understand it was still you beneath all that, but it didn't stop it feeling like you wanted to tear myself and the entire village to shreds."

Tisking, Naruto let his eyes drift across the few faces that were there. Most were only curious, maybe with a hint of caution but otherwise alright. Levy however looked a bit more apprehensive despite her brave face.

Looking down once more, Naruto swallowed. No matter how often he spoke of it, he still never liked the topic. "Alright, but just try keep it amongst you guys. I don't need everyone knowing about it."

Nodding sternly, Erza crossed her arms as her eyes glinted resolutely. "I promise nothing of what is spoken today will go beyond these walls. Except for the Master."

Quickly adding Makarov to the list Erza tilted her head slightly, challenging Naruto to say anything otherwise. Rolling his eyes, the ninja nodded conceding. "Fine, fine. Actually, what about Juvia? Wouldn't she want to be here?"

Elfman shook his head as he chuckled deeply. "I wouldn't think she'd mind missing out on this. She was completely unconscious while you paid Cana and myself a visit."

Shrugging, Naruto breezed over it easily enough. "Eh, ok. Well, I suppose I should start by showing you something."

Reaching down, he gripped the hem of his jacket and pulled it up. Gently stirring his chakra system into life, he watched detachedly as a large, intricate spiral appeared on his stomach, the epicentre located right on top of his belly button. There was a soft intake of air as the group gasped quietly, not at all expecting that. Pressing forward, Naruto began.

"Well, this goes right back to when I was born. The day of my birth, a giant chakra monster attacked my home village. It was called the _Kyuubi no Kitsune, _or in this language, Nine Tailed Fox. It was ridiculously strong, capable of levelling mountains with a single swipe of only one of its tails."

He sensed more than saw the group's faces tighten at the information. Frowning, Elfman's fists cracked as he processed what he heard. "A single tail of nine… I have never heard of such an incredible creature."

Glancing up at the giant man, Naruto quirked his head slightly and then carried on. "Yeah. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the _Yondaime Hokage_ faced it down. He –"

"Wait, Yon… dime Hokage?"

Hearing Erza, Naruto nodded as he clarified. "Oh, that means the Forth Fire Shadow. Basically, he's like the Master, only over an entire city, not just a guild. He's also recognised as one of the strongest ninja of all time."

Blinking in surprise, the group quietened down as Naruto continued. "So yeah, he faced it. Everyone expected him to kill it, but it was too much. It was just too strong. Now, you have all seen that scroll with the seal on it? That one I keep everything in?" Most of the group nodded. "Well, the Forth was a seal expert. The best that had ever lived. So to defeat the Kyuubi, he sealed it within someone at the cost of his own life."

Everyone expect Natsu instantly picked up on where the blond was going with this. Their eyebrows began furrowing as thoughts began running through their heads, all questioning the validity of Naruto's statement and the safety of the guild assuming they had guessed right. Natsu however was completely oblivious to this and began looking around in frustration as everyone went silent. Pursing his lips, he stomped a foot and shouted, "Oi! I don't get it! Someone tell me what he meant!"

"Natsu." Hearing his name, the fire mage looked over at Naruto. "That someone was me. The Kyuubi is in me."

Blinking as everyone around him let out a breath, Natsu's eyebrow dropped in confusion as he smelt the change in the air. Oblivious as ever, the teen just crossed his arms. "Yeah, well that's pretty cool. It's in you. So what's the big deal?"

While the rest of the mages faulted, Naruto began calculating Natsu in a new light. "Well, that power you felt, that horrible sensation of bloodlust; that was me."

Snorting, Natsu raised his arms to the back of his head. "Pfft, no it wasn't, that was the fox. It's _sealed_ in you right? How does that make it you?"

Smiling in relief, Naruto reached out a hand and dropped it onto the mages shoulder. "You have no idea how good it is to hear you say that."

Composing herself the fastest, Erza let out a single pop of laughter as she crossed her arms under her bosom. "Honestly Naruto, you thought that lowly of us to think we would hold such a shallow view on your predicament? You couldn't be more wrong."

Eyes softening slightly, Naruto noticed Levy still wasn't quite meeting his gaze but didn't bring attention to it. Forcing a smile to his face, the ninja focused instead on the acceptance everyone else was giving him and found the smile became more natural. "Ha, just blame old reservations then. Thanks guys."

Walking forward, Mirajane gave him a quick hug before stepping back again. "You silly goose. We'll never think of you as anything other than our blond haired boof-head."

Poking his tongue out, Naruto chuckled sheepishly as he shuffled his feet around. "Yeah well… you know what? Who cares? It's ok now."

The group before him relaxed as the tension left Naruto and Cana stepped up this time, punching him gently in the arm. "Well, enough of that. This seems like close of enough of a celebration to me so let's go get slaughtered. First barrel is on Naruto!"

Hearing a cheer, Naruto started as he saw several fists rise. "Oi, hang on a second who said anything about that?"

Giggling, Mira patted Naruto's bicep comfortingly. "Oh come now, we all know you have Jewels to spare. Be nice?"

Grumbling, Naruto just crossed his arms. "Whatever. Go get me some then before I change my mind."

Hearing another cheer and feeling several happy hands slap him, Naruto tried to pout and look away but struggled to hold back the smile that tugged at his cheeks. Looking back at the group, Naruto saw Mirajane wandering out with the rest and suddenly remembered something. Reaching out, he grabbed her and pulled her back in.

Squeaking softly in surprise, the barmaid turned a questioning gaze over her shoulder. "Naruto?"

Waiting until the door swung closed behind the last of them, Naruto then let her go, stepped back and jumped straight into it. "Mira-chan, I gotta talk with you about that **Satan Soul** of yours."

Hearing the name, Mirajane's eyes widened and a blush began dusting her cheeks. Biting her lip, she crossed her arms in front of her and bowed at the waist. Naruto blinked in surprise as he got a fine look at the back of Mirajane's while the girl began apologising. "I… I am so sorry about how abrupt and… vulgar I was back there. You see, when I take on this magic of mine, my personality is altered and I become… rougher. You caught me at a particularly bad time then as I hadn't used it in such a long time that I wasn't able to reign in my temper quite as well. I promise you though, it will never happen again."

Not at all expecting that, it took Naruto a moment before he realised the girl was still bowed and waiting for a reply. Waving his arms awkwardly around, the blond jumped into speech without thinking much about it. "N-no! Not at all! I mean, I was just as cranky too! I wasn't quite expecting the 'punch Laxus a new asshole' line, but I don't mind! Actually, it's kinda funny now that I think back on it…"

Letting his words trail off, Naruto scratched his cheek as he remembered the fired up lass and her choice set of words. He snickered to himself, but then realised Mirajane's ears were suddenly quite red. Rolling his eyes, Naruto reached out and pulled the rosy faced girl upright. "But seriously, it doesn't matter. No apology necessary, ok?"

Nibbling her lower lip, Mirajane's blush didn't fade and her eyes didn't leave the floor but she still nodded. While enjoying the cute, embarrassed shuffle, Naruto shook his head and got back on with the original topic. "So yeah, back to what I was talking about. It actually has something to do with the Kyuubi too."

Blue eyes lifted to meet blue eyes and Mirajane finally began fading back to her natural colour. "The Kyuubi?"

Nodding, Naruto crossed his arms and looked out the window. "Yeah… remember how I said I started leaking it involuntarily?"

Placing her index finger against her lip, Mira looked up in thought. "Well, yes I do now that you mentioned it."

Happy she remembered, Naruto then nibbled his lip for a moment before laying it out. "Well, I think it was you who did it."

Wide eyes blinked several times before the surprised girl offered a soft, "What?"

Holding his hands out helplessly, Naruto filled her in on his theory. "Well, when it started getting all crazy and covering me, it was then that I noticed that big black pillar of energy coming from you while you were transformed. It had to be you!"

Reaching out to grab the chair, Mira rested on it as she stared into Naruto's eyes. Neither said anything for a moment as the information sunk in. Looking around as her mind worked, Mirajane's eyebrows then furrowed and she looked back up at the blond. "Naruto… it wasn't me."

Naruto smiled. "I thought it was crazy at first, but it makes sense after a while."

Shaking her head, the teenager pushed her point. "But it can't! Sweetie… my abilities… takeover, they are exactly that. I take over the soul and in the process of that, I take the abilities of that soul. To draw on the Kyuubi… I imagine I'd have to be sealing or unsealing something."

The resolute smile on Naruto's face flickered a moment as Mirajane's words washed over him. The room seemed to drop in temperature and the blond opened his eyes, doubt beginning to flicker across his expressive orbs. "So… you don't do anything like summoning the soul?"

Looking down unhappily, Mirajane shook her head. "I do in a way, but I am almost certain it isn't the way that would be needed to pull the Kyuubi out from inside you, and it certainly wouldn't be strong enough to, even if it was me."

While his expression remained relatively unchanged, the blonds' thoughts quickly turned internal as he struggled to work out what this meant. 'Wait… so that means I have absolutely no idea what was pulling Kyuubi out. This is bad, this is very bad. What if it happens again? Who could it be? What could it be? Awww this is not good, not at all.'

Through it all, the blond could swear he heard the deep, mocking laughter of the fox the whole time he was stressing. He was so absorbed in his frantic thoughts that it took a moment for him to realise Mirajane was holding his shoulder and trying to talk to him. "Naruto? Are you ok, you've zoned out!"

Naruto's eyes focused after a second and a wide grin suddenly stretched across his face. "Oh, haha don't mind me! You know what, it was dumb to think it was you pulling it out in the first place!"

Still worried, the barmaid rested a hand on Naruto's arm. "But what if it happens again?"

Winking, Naruto shrugged. "Nah, I bet it was just a weird one off thing. I mean, I'm not native to this place so it was probably some freak natural occurrence. Nothing to worry your pretty little head over."

Reaching out, Naruto grabbed her in a one armed hug and began walking towards the door. "Forget this now. Everyone is now outside and partying it up while we grow old behind closed doors! Besides, first barrel is on me, remember?"

Examining the blond worriedly, Mirajane watched him for a few more moments but the blond just squeezed her tighter as he kicked the door open. "Come on, let's grab a mug of that horrible stuff Cana loves so much!"

Seeing the boy acting so natural again, Mirajane couldn't help but relax. If he was that unworried, then it mustn't be that bad. Relaxing into his grip, Mira allowed a small smile to grace her face and permitted Naruto to guide her through the mess of guild members.

Within the confines of his mind however, Naruto was anything but relaxed. 'I gotta try and fix this as soon as I can. Who knows, next time I might lose enough control and kill a bunch of people. I'll pack my stuff tonight and head out once everyone is asleep.'

Making their way over to the bar, Mirajane jumped behind it and began filling up a mug of ale from a random barrel. That was stopped short though as Cana suddenly ran forward out of nowhere and collided with Naruto with enough force to knock him clean off his feet. "No, no, not that one! You gotta give him _that _one!"

Arm outstretched and finger aimed firmly at a strangely coloured barrel, Cana let a wide smirk split her face as Naruto pulled himself off the ground. Winking at the confused teen, the brunette bumped him with her hip. "If anyone other than me can handle that stuff, it'll be him. So fill him up!"

Dropping into a seat, Cana almost wriggled with excitement as Naruto cautiously took his own and eyed up the strange bubbling liquid Mira pushed before him. Glancing up at the barmaid, he saw her looking down at Cana, an eyebrow quirked oddly as the brunette rocked back and forth. "Are you sure? I know Naruto can hold his liquor, but that?"

Wrinkling her nose cutely, Cana nodded and spoke up as the voices within the room rose sharply for a second. "Yeah, no sweat! He might end up blind but that's just half the fun!" Turning back to her quarry, the girl then leaned in and grinned. "Alright, now chug, no breaths."

"Hang on, are you really gonna drink that?"

Naruto looked up from his poison as Wakaba and Marco wandered over. They never seemed to be far from Cana and the mischief she got up to. Looking back at the frothing substance, Naruto shrugged and nodded. "I guess so. Can't back out of a challenge like this."

Before the blond could move though, Cana suddenly screamed out, "DEATH DRINK, TEN JEWELS SAYS NARUTO COLLAPSES AFTER TEN SECONDS!"

A chorus of voices suddenly lifted above the usual noise as rampant betting began over how soon the boy would succumb. Sweat began trickling down his cheeks though as the ninja slowly realised none of the bets were rising over much more than thirty seconds before he collapsed.

Looking back at the drink, Naruto dryly realised it had begun forming a sort of film over its surface. Leaning in, he gave it an experimental sniff and wrinkled his nose. It smelt like acid. A tentative dip of the tongue had him recoiling in disgust as it tasted much like what he thought acid would too.

Internally sighing, Naruto looked out at the sea of mages readily watching him. Eyes twinkling, Cana then leaned in. "That's Fairy Tail's special. Never really touch the stuff unless it's a special occasion. Thought it was good enough a time for you to try it babe though, so bottoms up."

Looking back at his drink, Naruto wondered just how he seemed to always end up in similar such predicaments within this guild. That wasn't the main problem right now though. So firming his resolve, the teen jutted his chin out and sank it.

The cheers of support didn't really register as Naruto forced the horrible stuff down. It burnt, it made him choke and it tasted like something only Cana would like. Still, he successfully finished it and slammed the mug down with only a few drops remaining.

A round of applaud went up before a loud counting replaced everything and it was then Naruto realised just why it was called the Death Drink.

The entire room seemed to swim grotesquely, like being viewed though a stirred fish tank. His stomach began violently protesting the stuff within it and everyone's voices began to float from falsetto to bass and back again.

Holding his head, Naruto gripped the bench as a wave of vertigo hit him and threatened to send him to the floor. He managed to recover, but a second tsunami sized one washed over him and sent him straight to the ground amidst the loud crashing of stools and the odd plate. A noisy cheer went up as the winners claimed their rewards, but to Naruto everything was just one blurred mess.

Blinking once as sleep quickly overcame him, Naruto managed half a yawn before he dropped off.

XxXxXxX

"Hmmm… owie…"

Raising his head, Naruto struggled to pull his eyes open and blearily look around as he attempted to make sense of his surroundings. From what he could see, he was still in the guild but it was too quiet to actually be the place. Groaning again, the blond dropped his head back down and registered that his head hit a pillow instead of the floor.

Not really trying to understand why, Naruto groaned again as footsteps neared him. "Oh you woke up! How do you feel?"

Shaking his head slowly, Naruto took his time to reply. "Absolutely horrible. What is wrong with me Mira-chan?"

A sigh reached his ears as the girl explained. "This is the hangover of legends that that horrible drink gives. I knew this would happen."

Moaning, Naruto slapped a palm to his forehead and massaged. "So this is what it feels like to be really sick? Holy crap, I have not been missing out on anything… actually, can I have a bucket?"

There was a rustle of rushed movement and a bucket appeared at his side just as he rolled over. Heaving, Naruto then emptied a black substance into the pale that smelt absolutely awful. This carried on for a minute or two before with one final spit, the ninja collapsed back onto the floor with a moan.

Mirajane pulled a face as she pinched her nose and reached for the bucket. Holding it as far from her person as possible, she nasally made out, "I'll be back in a moment", before rushing away to dispose of the vile liquid.

Naruto could do nothing but lay there a moment longer as he caught his breath, his accelerated healing finally able to do something to kill off the hangover now his stomach was empty. Hearing Mirajane return, Naruto held his hand out pathetically and waved it around. "Can I please get a drink? Mouth, disgusting, need rinse, now."

Having expected something like this, the barmaid simply grabbed a mug she prepared earlier and handed it over. It was quickly put to good use and finally after a clean, Naruto pushed himself upright and rested his back against the bar.

Breathing evenly, he was feeling a world better than he did when he woke up, but any sudden movements could still threaten to send him to the bucket again. Hearing a thump beside him, Naruto opened one eye a slit and saw Mirajane now sitting beside him. Moving a hand to his rumbling stomach, the blond started talking as a way to try take his mind off things. "So where is everyone? It is way too quiet to be normal. How long was I out anyway?"

Nodding, Mirajane leant back with a relieved sigh. "Yes, normally. However, the Fantasia parade is tonight so everyone able to partake is off getting ready and anyone who can't is trying to find a seat to watch. And you've been asleep for a few hours now. I'm actually surprised you're awake as soon as you are."

Humming softly, Naruto rested his head back. "Ah." Then his brow crinkled and he turned to Mirajane with a hurt look on his face. "Didn't they want me in it or something?"

Giggling, the girl shook her head. "No, I think Cana just had a bit much faith in how well you can tolerate alcohol. When they realised you weren't waking up any time soon, they all attacked her and took back any winnings she made off you. You lasted just over the ten second mark she predicted so she would have made a killing. So after that someone found you a pillow and then they left."

Appeased, Naruto grinned and rested back again. "Good. She's always trying to make money off me. So why aren't you out getting ready?"

Leaning into his field of vision, Mirajane raised an unamused eyebrow. "Well someone had to look after you."

Looking at her, Naruto grunted accordingly and put a hand on his knee. Pushing himself upright, he ignored the worried hands and exclamation from Mirajane and centered himself with a deep breath.

"You shouldn't have done that! You're still sick!"

Grinning tightly, Naruto gave her a shaky thumbs up. "I heal fast remember? I'll be right. You go get ready for this parade and I'll meet you out there."

Unable to really argue, the girl just looked into his eyes worriedly before nodding slowly. "Ok… but if you're not out there in thirty minutes I'm coming back for you."

Waving a hand as he nodded, Naruto accepted the condition. Happy he'd listen, Mirajane smiled pleasantly and leaned up to kiss his forehead. "That's a good boy. See you soon."

Turning, she then sashayed away with her usual grace, closing the door behind her. Once certain she was gone, Naruto then groaned again and dropped into a seat. Clamping a hand to his head, the blond moaned pitifully to himself. Being hung-over _sucked_. It didn't matter if in a short while he'd be ok, currently it was all about the moment and the moment felt horrible.

Bringing his hands together, Naruto forced a small amount of chakra through his fingers and brought forth a clone. Instantly, the replica slapped a hand to his mouth and puffed his cheeks out desperately to try and hold back the instant rise of vomit. Swallowing painfully, he gagged and dropped into a chair beside his creator. "Wh-what the hell did you create me for, now of all times! You could have waited until you felt better so I didn't have to suffer!"

Naruto supposed he could have waited a bit longer, but he didn't have much time to organise things. "You know why. You need to go grab me that black suit from the locker."

Shaking his head pathetically, the clone moaned defiantly. "Awww you suck! You should have gotten it yourself!"

Growling, Naruto shook his head back. "What if Mira-chan comes back huh? What then? Get moving, she might come back early."

Almost crying, the clone pushed himself up and held his stomach before staggering off to find the locker. Savouring the quiet moment, Naruto let his head rest back and tried to doze for a minute. It didn't last long enough though as a crash jolted him awake, his clone slamming into the bench beside him. Dropping the black bundle on the table, the clone coughed and dropped to the floor. "I hope you're happy. Now put me out of my misery, please."

Complying, Naruto dispersed the clone and sighed. He really didn't wanna move, but he had to otherwise Mirajane would come hunting. So pushing himself up, Naruto tucked the bundle away and stumbled out of the guild.

XxXxXxX

Sitting atop a magnificently designed float, Naruto looked down over the crowds of people lining the streets of Magnolia as he slowly moved through it. He was on a large, intricately designed one, with sparkling waves and a number of large, pink love hearts surrounding the base of it.

Leaning back, Naruto sighed for the umpteenth time as he cursed his luck for getting him stuck on this float of all things. Sure, it had a bit of orange on it, but the shear girliness of it outweighed any benefit. The only up side of it was that he didn't have to do anything except sit on the chair at the top and nurse the remains of his hangover whilst waving occasionally at the crowds.

"I hate you SO much, dattebayo! I will kill you in your sleep, I swear."

"Kill me and you kill you. Keep dancing."

Grumbling, Naruko stepped away from Naruto to return to her position of waving to the crowd and running around. The eight clones had all drawn the short straw when Naruto created them to entertain the crowd while he recovered. Unfortunately for them they were all left feeling as sick as Naruto with no relief until he dispersed them, so the curses and threats rained down on the original ninja.

Naruto never took much notice though, simply opting to sit back and smile though the headache that was stubbornly refusing to go. He just had to hold on a while longer and then he could escape.

XxXxXxX

Later that night well after everyone had departed the guild and headed back to their respective homes, a shadow crept along the stone wall surrounding the Fairy Tail headquarters. Its darkened head looked left and right to make sure it was completely alone before sliding in and dashing over to a window. Opening it soundlessly, the shadow slipped inside and pulled the window closed, leaving not a sign of ever having passed through.

Once inside, a hand reached up and pulled a black hood off of the shadows head to reveal a blond mop of hair that instantly sprung up in apparent agitation, almost angry at being smoothed flat for so long. Rubbing his hand though his hair, Naruto chuckled quietly as he undressed and folded his black clothing in a neat pile. While almost certain everyone had gone home, he couldn't be too careful. There always seemed to be someone floating around the guild.

Unruffling his usual orange garb, the ninja slipped back into it happily and patted himself down. He never could wear black all that long. It was a depressing colour.

Picking up the black pile, Naruto then began walking though the quiet halls in search of his clothing he left there. After that shopping spree with Lucy, the blond had found himself with a distinct lack of storage space in his scroll so had opted to leave most of it hidden in a locker Mirajane rented out to him.

Opening the locker, Naruto dropped the clothes into a deceptively large storage space. Magically expanded or something like that was the explanation given. As it was, Naruto was shuffling through what few clothing items he wanted to take when the light clicked on. "I knew you'd be here."

Naruto instantly froze, caught red handed. 'Damn, she sure is sneaky.'

Turning to face the voice, the blond pushed a smile to his face. "Hey Mira-chan! What are you doing here?"

The smug girl walked forward as Naruto spoke, reaching out and poking his chest in the process. "Probably for the opposite reason you're here."

Pursing his lips, the ninja played dumb. "Uh, opposite of what?"

Rolling her eyes, the barmaid poked him again. "You know perfectly well what. You thought you had me fooled back then, but I like to think I know you a little better than anyone else."

Well, if she was able to predict his moves like this then she certainly earned that position of most informed. Not waiting for an answer, the girl sighed and continued. "I know that whatever it is that is drawing on the Ku… Kyu… the Fox is really worrying you. You nearly had me fooled. The only thing that made me come back was just to check and see if you were going to sneak away."

The blond grunted and turned back to rummaging. "Well, fine. But you can't stop me. I really gotta go and work out what is happening."

Reaching out, Mirajane gently held Naruto's shoulders and turned him around. "Silly, I wasn't coming to stop you. I was just coming to say I understand more than what I think you give me credit for. I also was hoping you'd maybe wait a day extra so you can properly recover from that drink. Mostly the understanding part though."

Looking into her hopeful eyes, Naruto saw them softening and he instantly realised he'd been had. That wet-eyed ability every single female was born with was being activated and it was unavoidable. Add in the worrying of her bottom lip and Naruto caved in faster than a wet tissue. Scratching the back of his head, the blond rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine, but only one day. For you."

Squealing merrily, Mira jumped forward and planted a kiss on Naruto's cheek. "Thank you so much! It'll put you in a better mood for your journey, so you can thank me later."

Standing back, the girl then crossed her arms behind her back. "So… what are you gonna do now?"

Shrugging, Naruto wrinkled his nose as he thought. "Not sure. I originally planned to be heading out right now."

Flushing lightly, Mirajane looked down slightly. "Well, would you wanna stay at my place again?"

Realising she was actually being shy about it, Naruto smirked. "Oh, I might. Any reason why you're so red?"

Puffing her cheeks out, Mira looked back up at him. "Well, I've never asked any boy to actually _stay _at my place before. That one time you stayed was just because you couldn't look after yourself."

Laughing, Naruto reached out and gently flicked the bridge of her nose. "Of course I'd like to stay."

Rubbing the injured spot, Mira crinkled her nose but still smiled happily. "Yay! Let's go then. You've had a big day."

And grabbing his arm, the girl dragged Naruto away.

XxXxXxX

The next morning brought a pleasant wake up to Naruto with Mirajane attached to his arm again in her bed. This time, the teen didn't disturb her and let himself just enjoy the moment.

Staring airily at the roof, Naruto couldn't help but smile softly as he heard Mirajane let out a little snort. It really was a good life here sometimes. No assassinations, no imminent threats, no wars… 'I wish it would last forever.'

The unbidden thought jumped into his mind but the blond didn't deny it. Such peace was something Naruto had dreamed of for so long and here it was. The sooner those toads called him back the better. After seeing everything here, the blond was even more motivated to bring happiness into his home world.

Another snort and the release of Naruto's arm brought the ninja from his musings. The bed bounced as Mirajane rolled over and Naruto gave a little chuckle. Remembering how much she enjoyed that breakfast he had brought in when they had stayed at Cana's, the blond grinned and quietly left the bed. Mira was always looking after him so it was time he gave a little something back.

Dashing into the kitchen, Naruto then proceeded to mash up something that passed for a fairly lavish breakfast. Walking it back in, a big pair of blue eyes stared up into his and Mirajane squealed happily. "Oh thank you so much! You have no idea how nice it is to have this happen! I can't even remember the last time this happened."

Chuckling, Naruto rested the plate on her lap and the girl tucked in. "You mustn't have a very good memory then."

Pausing, Mira blushed and then slapped his arm gently. "You know what I mean."

Smirking cheekily, Naruto dropped back onto the mattress. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, once you're done, can we go? I really wanna get moving early."

Nodding, Mira popped another spoonful into her mouth and sucked. Letting it out with a pop, she then pointed the utensil at her chef. "So why were you gonna leave without telling anyone?"

"Ah… because I didn't wanna create a fuss?"

Raising a disbelieving eyebrow, Mirajane swallowed another mouthful. "And what makes you think that wouldn't?"

Unable to really come up with an answer, Naruto grumbled a bit before coming clean. "I'd rather everyone angry at me for that rather than they find out the real reason."

Placing the spoon down, Mirajane sighed. "So why didn't you just come and speak to me?"

Looking down uncomfortably, Naruto didn't reply. Realising he was beginning to withdraw, Mirajane quickly changed the subject. "Well, it doesn't matter. I can cover for you. Anyway, I'm done so let me up. We can head out soon."

Naruto smiled thankfully at the girl. "Thanks."

They then fell silent for a moment before Mirajane realised what was happening. "Well shoo! I'm not getting changed with you just sitting there."

"Awww…"

Disregarding the whine, Mirajane shook her head and pointed at the door. "Nope, out."

Begrudgingly pulling himself to his feet, Naruto traipsed out of the room.

"Door?"

Moaning again, he pulled it closed behind him. Chuckling to herself as she began to undress, Mirajane couldn't help but really wonder what Naruto's old teacher _really_ was like.

XxXxXxX

Walking into the large guild, Naruto and Mirajane gave a wave to all the people who called out their morning greetings.

"Walking Mira to work again I see, Naruto?" Looking over at Macao and seeing the wide grin on his face, Naruto winked in reply and gave him a thumbs up. "You know it! Don't get too jealous now."

Just laughing, the man returned the gesture. "Can't say I won't have problems there my boy."

Suddenly a massive presence loomed over the teen and in an instant a muscular set of arms lifted Naruto clean off the ground. "What a man to walk my sister here! Thank you Naruto!"

Eyes wide from having the breath squeezed out of him, Naruto wheezed out, "No problem. Can you let me down now?"

Realising the boy was starting to go pale, Elfman grinned sheepishly and dropped him. "Ah, sorry. I was a bit taken with your manliness."

Waving a hand at the giant, Naruto swallowed as he nodded his forgiveness. "No problem… just let me sit down a moment."

Dropping into a chair, Naruto waited for the dots to clear from his vision as Mirajane walked up beside him. "I gotta get into the bar so you take care now ok?"

Nodding vacantly, the blond didn't really register Mira pat his head and then disappear into the guild.

"Yo! Good morning Naruto my boy. I see Elfman has already given his greetings?"

Hearing the cheery welcome, Naruto looked over to his right to see Makarov jump up into a chair beside him. Taking one final breath, Naruto exhaled and nodded. "I wasn't quite ready for it."

Chuckling, the old man nodded. "Most people aren't." The man then looked away and changed topics. "So how are you enjoying Fairy Tail life?"

Leaning back to look at the sky, Naruto grinned widely. "It's great! There's always something happening, the people are awesome and it's so peaceful."

Letting an eye stray over the blond, Makarov waited a moment before asking his next question. "So no regrets then?"

Looking down at the man, Naruto realised what was happening. "No, no regrets. And yes, you told me so."

Nodding once, Makarov grunted happily. "Damn right I did. Oh and Naruto…"

Turning more of his attention to the old man, Naruto waited for him to continue. "You have some fans waiting to see you."

"Eh?"

And then, the teenage boy was blindsided by several bodies, the weight of them all throwing him to the floor with a loud cry of, "SURPRISE!"

Blinking in shock, Naruto wondered who just sat a horse on him. He quickly had to change his mind though as several sets of arms all snaked their way around his torso and squeezed. "We've missed you so much!"

Unable to turn over, Naruto tried to place the voices. They were familiar, but he couldn't quite place them. Lying flat on his stomach, Naruto eventually gave up. "Alright, alright, let me up, you got me."

As the bodies got off him, Naruto sat up and dusted himself down. Turning around, his eyes then widened as he got a look at who just attacked him.

Three identical girls all with long, flowing pink hair grinned widely at him, their faces scrunched up in joy at finally meeting their idol again.

Jumping to his feet, Naruto blinked as he remembered who they were. "You three! From Magic Mountain!"

Crying out in joy, they all dived at his middle. "You remember us!"

Unable to do much, Naruto just looked over the girls in bewilderment. As much as he had enjoyed their affections, he hadn't expected to see them again to be honest. Awkwardly patting the three of them, they all then hustled back, oblivious to the surprised stares from the surrounding mages.

Chuckling, Makarov dropped from his seat and wandered into the guild with a wave. "I'll let you four get reacquainted then. They told me they wanted to surprise you this morning."

"Uh… thanks… see you in there." Not able to say much more than that, Naruto turned his gaze from the small man back to the three girls before him.

Trying to pick them apart was like trying to work out the real Naruto in-between his **Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clones)**. They were all wearing the same deep red bow in their hair, all on the left side. They all had a white, figure hugging button up blouse on with a pattered hem that hung perfectly over a long, beige dress that came down to just above their ankles. Each had a pair of slightly steeped, brown shoes with a little bow on them that looked like they had seen a bit of wear.

Blinking again, Naruto looked up into their expectant faces and desperately tried to remember who was who. They obviously noticed, but instead of being offended like he had expected instead giggled and pointed at their faces. The triplet on the left winked and scratched at a little scar under her left eye. "Don't stress if you can't remember who each of us are. We get it a lot. I'm Kelly!"

The girl in the middle with no scars grinned widely and curtseyed. "It's so good to see you again Naruto! I'm Shelly!"

The final of the three pointed to a little scar under her right eye and winked mischievously. "So that leaves me. Sally, at your service, my hero."

Unable to say much, Naruto swallowed and forced his mouth to work. "G-girls! Long time no see! How have you been doing since that mess?"

Sally made a face at the mention of their capture back then. "Well, we had to clear up a fair bit of controversy as we were spotted occasionally. Once everyone realised we were being manipulated though, things got a lot easier."

Shelly then took over. The actual transition to her talking though was so similar to her sister that Naruto wouldn't have picked it unless he was watching her speak. "So from there we hung about, did a few small jobs to make up some money and then from there started hunting for you!"

Naruto's nose twitched slightly at this. 'Oh boy.'

Not noticing, the girl continued. "So we were asking around trying to find out who you were and I gotta say gorgeous, you are _really_ hard to find! We searched for days trying to find anyone who had any idea where you were from until we ran into a certain someone."

While not too sure about how to deal with three girls out rightly admit they'd been stalking him, Naruto was curious to find out how they had tracked him. He had an unpleasant idea who though when they mentioned a 'someone'.

"Turns out, this guy had been looking for information on you too! He'd been running around Hargeon asking way more questions than us, so already had an idea as to where you were. Turns out he was right!"

That time it was Kelly talking, but unless you were looking you couldn't tell. Naruto's eyes had thinned though and the blonds' fists had started curling. "When you say 'him', who exactly do you mean?"

"Oh!" Gasping in surprise, the girls looked at one another. "Does that mean we beat him here? I wonder how? Ah well." Turning back, they all smiled widely. "Well you're in for a shock! Only the greatest reporter for Sorcery Weekly, Jason!"

While a number of the guild members eavesdropping gasped in surprise, Naruto was internally growling up a storm. 'Good, the second he gets here I'm wringing his neck! All that crap he made up about me and Fairy Tail is unforgiveable! I'll be a little gentle though seeing as he accidentally helped me out with the old farts in the council. But still, I'm gonna tan his hide!'

Unaware of the internal threats, the triplets simply took Naruto's rigid silence as shock. Making adoring noises as they 'realised' this, they all jumped on Naruto again and began rubbing their cheeks on his. "Awww you're just so cute! We never thought you'd be so surprised! Don't worry, we made sure to tell him everything we knew about you!"

"WHAT?"

Anything else the perturbed blond wished to say though was caught in his throat as a screaming body flew in and attached itself to his head via a vice grip. "What are you doing to my Kitty-kitty?"

While they screamed in surprise, the trio didn't let go. "What do you mean Kitty-kitty? And what do you mean by _yours?_"

Eyes clenched shut tight; Millianna howled to the sky, "Naruto is my Kitty-kitty and no one else's! Leave the Kitty alone!"

Growling, the girls only gripped the struggling blond tighter. "No! Naruto is OUR hero! He saved us! Not you, US!"

Only clenching tighter, Millianna screamed again, "MY KITTY!"

"Yeah, well he – huh?" Cut off mid sentence, all four girls all looked down in confusion as the pillar they were all attached to began sinking to the ground. Slowly letting go, they all took a look at Naruto's pale face and realised he had passed out from a lack of air.

"What a crazy mob." Having come in halfway through the fiasco, Cana had parked herself over near Wakaba and Macao to watch the show. "A little too much love for the kid I think."

Suddenly, a cacophony of noise broke out over the teen as the girls began fighting between one another over who got to give Naruto mouth to mouth. Grabbing the ever present flask of alcohol from her hip, Cana tipped some of the fluid down her throat as several mages around her broke out into laughter.

Just then, Shou and Wally came running in, both panting and looking fairly stressed. Skidding to a stop, they took one look at Millianna before trying to jump in and grab her.

"Ah-ah, leave her. This is something you don't want to get involved in."

A hand gripped each of their shoulders and pulled them to a stop before they could move more than a few feet. Each turned to see Macao holding them, a knowing grin on his face. Shaking their heads though, the two mages pointed at the downed blond. "But what about Naruto? He's really getting beaten up in there!"

Hearing a chuckle, they turned to see Wakaba casually take a slow drag from his ever present pipe before answering. "I'm sure it would take much more than a few careless women to put him out for long. Why don't you just relax and enjoy it? Free entertainment like this doesn't come along often."

Though still worried, they didn't move when the older man released them. Gripping their fists, Wally could help but murmur, "That poor lad. I do hope Millianna goes easy on him, ya know? That dandy affection she has may just end up being the death of him."

Biting his lip, Shou could only nod in agreement. The laughing of all the other mages around him wasn't really helping him either as he watched Naruto collect a few careless stomps to the chest. "Yeah… they all have a bit much affection for him I think."

XxXxXxX

Naruto took a deep breath and shakily sipped from the warm mug of milk provided. He was now a safe distance away from the four crazy young lasses but kept glancing over at them just in case they decided to pounce again.

Thankfully though, it seemed Mirajane had it under control and was currently chastising them over their actions. "You can't expect to fight amongst yourselves while Naruto is on the ground out cold! Look at those foot prints on his chest! You even _stepped _on him while you were arguing!"

All girls had their heads bowed in repentance before the ivory haired judge. They especially flinched when reminded of their accidental stamps. Turning, they all dropped their heads further and sniffled as they apologised.

"We're sorry for scaring you! And suffocating you, and stomping on you, and for crushing your ribs, and for trying to all give you mouth to mouth at the same time…"

Naruto touched the sides of his lips when they brushed over that part. At least he now knew why his mouth hurt. Nevertheless, he was never one to hold grudges so he held his hands up and grinned. "No, it's fine, honestly! I just wasn't expecting so much… hugging."

Eyes instantly bright and brimming with tears, the triplets all clasped their hands and cried out in joy. "Oh thank you Naruto for understanding! You are so forgiving, you are just prefect!"

Millianna opted for the physical approach and attempted to tackle-hug the blond. Before she could show her thankfulness though, a hand caught her mid air by the scruff of her neck and held her there. Turning, the girl saw that the hand belonged to Erza. The titan of Fairy Tail had her eyes closed and her face was marred by a frown of irritation. "What did Mirajane just say, Millianna?"

Ignoring the question, the brunette instantly turned her affections to her friend and slithered from her grip to wrap her arms around Erza's middle. "Erza! When did you get here? We missed you!"

"Uh, you did see me yesterday, remember?"

Not at all caring for that detail, the girl buried her head into Erza's bust and began purring contentedly. Sighing, Erza just shook her head resignedly while the male half of the guild looked on with interest.

"I bet she's done that before. Lucky girl."

Thankful for the momentary rest from the attention, Naruto took another relaxing sip from his cooling mug. Sighing, the blond then cocked an ear as he heard his name called. Turning, he spotted a little blue cat flying towards him in happy spirals. "Naruto! How are you? Why are you all dirty?"

Making space on his lap, Naruto leant back as the cat alighted on him to stare up at the footprints on his chest. "People have been standing on you? Do you like BDSM?"

Quickly steering Happy's thought train away from that, Naruto flapped his arms hurriedly as he explained. "No! I just got into a little mishap with those girls over there."

"Hmmm?" Looking around the orange jacket, Happy stared at the triplets. "So you can kick Natsu around like a bug, but those three can beat you? HA, wait till Natsu hears you got beat up by three girls!"

Snorting, Naruto dropped a heavier than normal hand onto the cats head. "Oh? What about all those times he got beat up by Erza?"

Laughing, Happy shook his head. "But that's different! Erza's Erza. Completely different."

Not really understanding how it was so different, Naruto just decided to let it go. Hearing his name again, the blond looked over to see Natsu, Gray and Lucy strolling in through the doors. Well, Gray and Lucy were. Natsu was running in at full pace. Skidding to a stop in front of his rival, Natsu instantly threw a finger out at the blond and grinned widely. "It's decided! You and me fight today! Nothing else to be said!"

Blinking as he had that dropped in his lap, Naruto looked over to Lucy and the girl sighed loudly. "Oh come on Natsu! We've already said he won't want to fight you! No one ever does, except maybe Gray here or Gajeel. Just leave him be."

Spinning around, Natsu groaned loudly and pointed at Gray. "But I'm over fighting him! He sucks, he always gets naked while we're fighting and to top it off I always smell damp after it. Besides, I'm way stronger than he is now so I need a new challenge!"

Snorting, said mage rolled his eyes. "You get it lucky. _I _smell like singed hair and ash for days after. Do you have any idea how hard it is to wash that smell off you?"

Turning on him, Natsu got right up in his face. "I've never needed to!"

Pinching his nose, Gray turned away. "You obviously haven't asked anyone that lately, have you. You stink!"

Watching as the verbal argument degraded into a physical one, Naruto couldn't help but sweat drop. It was turning into a very busy morning.

Ignoring the fight ball that ensured, Naruto looked down to his cup and swirled the last of his milk around before lifting it to his mouth. Savouring the taste, Naruto sighed happily. Brushing Happy off his lap, the ninja then took his feet and casually kicked away Natsu and Gray when they got a bit close to him.

Walking past them, Naruto wandered over to Lucy and gave her a warm smile. "So good morning to you! Sleep well?"

Puffing her cheeks out slightly, Lucy crossed her arms as she glared at Natsu rolling on the floor. "Well, it _was_ going alright until this nimrod decided to crash-tackle me awake." Moaning, she let a crocodile tear slip from her eye. "If they keep this up I'll be grey before I turn twenty! A beautiful girl like me needs her sleep!"

Raising his arms to the back of his head, Naruto nonchalantly took a look at the girl's hair. "You sure? What's that there then?"

Instantly stiffening, Lucy twisted her torso to face Naruto before disappearing in a cloud of dust as she screamed for a mirror. Allowing himself a smirk, Naruto nodded successfully. You couldn't say no to a prank when it presented itself that easily.

Hearing another shout behind him, the blond jumped back to dodge Natsu, Gray and now Gajeel and Elfman as they barrelled past. Watching as the four feuding mages absorbed more guild members into the ball of death, Naruto decided he'd wasted enough of the morning being distracted and that it was about time he left.

Stealthily slipping into the shadows, the blond began making his way towards the lockers when pins and needles started running up and down his spine. Sneezing once, Naruto blinked in surprise before another sneeze rocked his body, this time almost blowing him off his feet. "Damn, who the hell is talking about me? It better be something good."

"Coooooooooool…"

Naruto's ears pricked as he heard the distant shout. Something about that voice just screamed 'irritating'. Turning to face the front door, Naruto noticed that a large number of mages were also looking over in surprise. Rapid footsteps brought Naruto's attention back to the door and he was just in time to see an extremely excited male slide through the opening on his knees.

"Fairy Tail is the COOOOOOOOOOOOLEST!"

Blond hair covered the pale man's head, one single spike sticking up straight, right in the middle of his skull. A pair of what looked like designer sunglasses sat upon his fringe, the eyewear resolutely holding onto its place despite the hectic shaking of the man's head. A vibrant pink shirt covered his torso while a satchel hung from his right shoulder to hang at the opposite hip. A rather expensive looking camera was draped from his neck, the poor piece of equipment jolting around as its owner bounced about in enthusiasm. Finishing off the look was a simple pair of blue jeans that flared out at the bottom to cover what looked like a set of cowboy boots.

"Jason! What are you doing here?" The now named Jason turned to see Erza staring at him in surprise, the woman not at all expecting his arrival.

His body seemed to quiver in excitement before Jason exploded into a rush of movement as he danced up to Erza. "It's you, Titania! In the flesh! Unreal! Incredible! COOL!"

Not quite sure how to handle him, Erza let him have his moment before repeating the question. "So Jason, what brings you here unannounced? I thought you weren't due for another few days?"

Unable to help himself, Jason pulled his camera out and began snapping away at Erza while he answered her question. "Yes, just like that! Well, you know about how I have been travelling… raise your head a little… COOL! While on my travels, I stumbled across a mage you have somehow managed to hide from us! I have no idea how you did it but that is seriously the COOLEST! I just _had_ to come and find him so I unfortunately didn't have time to organise things. Especially after I met these wonderful sisters that helped me learn so much more about Fairy Tail's Orange Rock –"

A thunderous punch suddenly cut off anything Jason was about to say as the force of it snapped his jaw shut and sent him barrelling into the far wall. Leering over him, a dark shadow covered most of Naruto's face as he shook uncontrollably. "Don't you EVER say that again! Do you have _any_ idea just how lame it is?"

Ignoring the bruise blossoming into life on his cheek, Jason just cried out in joy and grabbed his notepad. "It's you, it's really you! The Oran-"

Naruto thumped him over the head again. "WHAT DID I JUST SAY, DATTEBAYO?"

Muffed by the floor a bit, Jason lifted his still widely grinning face to look up at him again. "I can't believe it! I'm so lucky!" Hesitantly extending a hand, Jason squeezed his eyes shut. "W-Would you please shake me by the hand?"

"Humph." And shake him by the hand Naruto did. Dust was kicked up as the man's body thumped into the floor a few times before the disgruntled shinobi let go. Leaning back, Naruto crossed his arms and glared down at him. "I hope that teaches you. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and don't you forget it! Not some lame-ass 'orange rocket'. Seriously, it makes me wanna barf."

Pen in hand, Jason was furiously scribbling down every last work Naruto uttered. "Cool… cool… cool, cool, COOL!"

Pushing himself to his feet, Jason ran and grabbed two chairs before offering Naruto one. "Please, would I be able to ask you a few questions? I'm so curious about you! The world is! I must learn more for the sake of mages everywhere!"

"Eh…" Not quite ready for that, Naruto looked over at the door. He really wanted to leave but now was his chance to clear things up. Shaking his head, the blond decided his trip could wait a little longer. His pride was currently at stake.

Dropping into the chair, Naruto grunted acceptingly. Realising this, Jason's eyes began sparkling cheerfully and the reporter slid into his seat. "Fantastic! So Naruto, it's ok if I call you that? Or Uzumaki? Which would you prefer?"

Naruto frowned. "Naruto. Definitely Naruto."

Grinning, Jason wrote it down. "Alright! So Naruto, can you tell me a little about yourself?"

Having a quick think, Naruto shook his head. He really didn't want any information people didn't otherwise know written about in some worldwide book. "Nope, my life is for me and my close friends only."

"Ooooh… mysterious!" Writing down the answer, Jason continued. "Ok, can I at least have your age?"

Naruto shrugged. Why not? "I'm sixteen. Not sure when my birthday is here."

Eyes bulging, Jason couldn't help but lean right forward into Naruto's personal space. "Are you serious? So young and yet so powerful? COOL!"

Really not liking the face to face contact, the uncomfortable blond shuffled back. "Uh, yeah..."

Not taking the hint, Jason grabbed his chair and scraped it along after the retreating teen. "Well, can you tell me how long you have been here?"

"Ah… Mira-chan!" Swinging around, Naruto caught the attention of the barmaid. "How long have I been here?"

Cupping her mouth, Mirajane called back, "Do you mean since you arrived, or since you joined the guild?"

"Since I joined the guild!"

Nodding, the girl counted down the days on her fingers. "Umm… close to a month now I think!"

Eyes wide, Naruto turned back around. "Wow… its felt _way_ longer than that."

Grinning, Jason scribbled down the answer. "Only a month and yet you have managed to create such incredible ripples within the magical world! COOL!"

The blond teen grumbled and crossed his arms, muttering under his breath, "Not by choice."

"So, next I'd like to ask –" The reporter then cut off as a flash of light caught his eye. A small badge pinned to Naruto's chest to be exact, in the shape of a cross. Naruto didn't realise this though and began backing away as Jason rapidly began to swell.

"What the…?" Eyes wide, Naruto dived behind the chair as Jason literally exploded into stars and sparkles, the excitement overflowing from his body in rivers of light.

"I HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE A WIZARD OF THE TEN SAINTS! SOOO COOOOOOOOOL!"

Thoroughly deafened by the outburst, Naruto looked up at him in surprise as the reporter towered over him, eyes blazing in awe and pen nearly snapped within his grip. "When did this happen Naruto? You must be the youngest Saint EVER! The world needs to know this!"

"Uh…" Deciding to leave out the dirty details, Naruto explained. "The day I joined actually. I'm just temporary though so it mightn't be for much longer."

If anything it just made Jason even more excited. "A temporary Wizard Saint? I have never heard of that either! COOL!"

He then started scribbling down furiously, his notepad almost smoking from the friction. Thinking it was about time to leave, Naruto pushed himself away from the crazy reporter and began slinking away. "Well, I gotta go now. You better remember my name though! U-Z-U-M-A-K-I N-A-R-U-T-O!"

Bowing rapidly, Jason began shedding tears. "Yes, yes, yes, I will never forget you! OH, WAIT ONE MOMENT!"

A blinding flash of light suddenly went off and Naruto bunched his fists into his eyes in pain. "Damn it, dattebayo! Warn me first!"

Ignoring the complaint, Jason checked the picture and cried out, "Perfect! I couldn't ask for anything more COOL! I will be seeing you very soon Naruto!"

Desperately hoping that wasn't the case, Naruto just nodded before stumbling away from the ball of energy. Collapsing near the bar, he dropped his head to the bench top. Hearing Mirajane giggle, Naruto gave out a little moan.

"He's quite a lot to take in at first, but you get used to it soon enough."

Pushing his head back up, Naruto shook his head. "I don't think I'd want to get used to it. Besides, I'm leaving now. I've waited long enough."

Smiling understandingly, the barmaid wiped her hands on the dish towel at her waist. "Ok. I'll go and write down in the book you have a job. Make sure you tell the Master before you leave though yeah?"

Hearing Jason cry out ecstatically as he ran into another of his idols, Naruto nodded and pushed himself up quickly. He'd heard enough 'cools' to keep him happy for a year.

XxXxXxX

Now sitting inside the Master's room, Naruto sighed thankfully as the door cut off all sound. Chuckling, the old man wandered past the blond and jumped up onto his chair. "I see you met Jason?"

Shaking his head, Naruto growled. "More like he stalked me all the way here. It's creepy."

Raising an eyebrow, Makarov looked at the irritated teen. "You might want to take advantage of the service he provides. You can use your space in there for more than just entertainment purposes. If clever enough, you can intertwine deeper meaning into the articles for rival guilds to read."

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "If I wanted to say something to someone I'd just walk over there and tell them myself. Stuff all that subtle reading crap, it's just stupid mind games."

Shrugging, the Master peaked his fingers. "Very well. So why are you up here then? I'd imagine there'd be other places you could escape to if you were avoiding Jason."

Nodding slowly, Naruto rested his elbows on the desk. "Yeah… Mira-chan actually told me to come and tell you this. You probably already felt what happened during that mess with Laxus."

The old mage nodded. "You mean with the Kyuubi? Indeed, I'd have to dead to miss a beacon of power like that."

Naruto looked up in surprise. "You know its name?"

Makarov nodded. "Erza filled me in."

"Ah, that explains it." Pausing, Naruto then pressed on. "There is more you don't know though."

"Hmm?" Leaning in, the Master gave him all his attention.

Continuing before he decided otherwise, Naruto closed his eyes and started. "When you felt its power coming from me… it wasn't because I wanted it to. Something had pulled it out through the seal. At first I thought it had been Mira-chan when she went demon mode, but afterwards she told me she had nothing to do with it."

Filling in the blanks with ease, Makarov nodded. "So now you're worried it will happen again and need to leave to work it out. That the gist of it?"

Blinking, Naruto hadn't expected to be worked out so easily. Still though, it _was _the Master. So nodding, the teen sat back. "Yes. I must find out what is going on because if it happens again, I could lose myself to it entirely."

Sighing, the small man crossed his arms. "You wouldn't take any help with this would you?"

Naruto shook his head. "I couldn't. If I lost control…"

Sighing again, Makarov nodded. "Fine. You do what you have to do. Just make sure you keep me informed, ok?"

A smile slipped onto his face as Naruto looked at the diminutive Master. "Yeah, I can do that. Thanks so much Old Man!" The boy's look then slowly was replaced by a more reserved one. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone."

Makarov studied Naruto for a moment, the intelligent Master running a few things through his head. "That is no problem Naruto. However, I think you need to realise that this power you contain can be used for good. You're hung up on something in your past, aren't you?"

Hesitantly, Naruto nodded. He wasn't expecting the Master to open him up quite so much. "Yes… I hurt a very close friend during an episode where I lost control. I really wanted to never use it again."

Sighing, Makarov closed his eyes as he spoke. "Well, can you tell me if you know what went wrong at the time?"

The blond nodded glumly.

Peeking open an eye, the Master noted the motion. "Well, if that's the case you know what not to do next time, don't you? Master this power of yours. You easily have the strength of will to control it, so should it come forward again, you give it your damnedest to keep it under control. I have faith in you lad. Maybe have a little more in yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction as the words registered. He hadn't heard words quite like that since Jiraiya died. Looking up, Naruto couldn't help but smile when he saw the strong gaze he was currently being fixed with. Chuckling softly, Naruto sat back up straight and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks for that."

Nodding, Makarov sat back too. "Everyone has moments like this Naruto, so don't think you're the exception. You may have a unique situation, but I can assure you many other people have mastered their demons. With that in mind, so can you."

A confident smile stretched across Naruto's face and the blond slapped his palms down on the table. "Damn right! If Mira-chan can control her power, so can I!"

Grumbling as Naruto's voice got rather loud, Makarov hopped down from his seat. "Yeah, yeah. Oh, and one more thing."

Walking to the door, Naruto looked down at the Master. The blond couldn't help but notice the small vein pumping upon Makarov's forehead. Before he could comment on it though, a gigantic boot came soaring in out of nowhere and kicked him out of the room powerfully. "I'M NOT THAT OLD!"

XxXxXxX

Now standing out in his old training field, Naruto hitched his little travelling pack off his shoulder and dropped it to the ground. He had only just managed to escape Jason again by stuffing everything into the bag and fleeing the building. Once outside though, he came across Mirajane and the three sisters all sitting down at a table talking quite animatedly. The blond wasn't quite sure what to make of the news when Mira cheerfully informed him that they were now going to be working part time in the guild to help take a little bit of the load off her shoulders.

So quickly excusing himself after three rib crushing hugs goodbye, Naruto hopped to the roof of the nearest house and began leaping away.

Twisting his spine so it popped back into place, the ninja grimaced and rubbed his sore muscles. He then reached into his pocket and pulling his scroll out, quickly sealed his equipment into it and popped it back into its place. Straightening, a determined smile stretched across his face. Tightening his headband and then fixing his badge, Naruto crouched.

It was time to put his title of Temporary Wizard of the Ten Saints to use and visit the council for a little bit of information.

Gathering chakra within his limbs, the teen's clothes ruffled a moment before he lifted off the ground and shot into the distance.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Hey everyone, it's been a while! How are we all doing? Strap yourselves in, it's gonna be a big Author's Note this time =D_

_I suppose I should probably start off with an explanation to you in regards to this 5 month delay. _

_The first reason it took so long was because of that abominable last chapter -_- I swear, I have never had such problems with an episode ever! I occasionally receive a bad review on a chapter on what people don't like, but this one must have ended up with like half of them telling me I sucked, and with good reason. After thinking about it, I realised I had begun to pump chapters out simply because I was trying to force myself to keep up with a schedule and quality was suffering badly._

_So, I took a break. I only planned on a month or 3 at first, but then real life hit me with a mallet and I suddenly was flying all over the country and even overseas for work and family and stuff. I was away more often than I was home and any time I was free I was using it to recover from the last travel._

_So while you may have had to wait, I thought that in the end I'd rather have my readers cranky with me because I was really freaking late, rather than having you cranky cause my latest chapters sucked and then giving up reading all together._

_As for other things, I actually have a couple of anime and fanfics I'd like to promote for anyone interested. I found a couple of really interesting things while on my time off so here they are._

_The first is a new Fanfic called "__**Guardian Rising**__" by __**Eilwynn**__. You may remember I promoted a story of hers in an earlier chapter. Well, this is the sequel and it is just as incredible. The main reason I do this is because despite it being such a masterpiece, she is getting nowhere near the number of reviews she deserves. I just really want to help a fellow author out here and push this forward to any __**Bleach**__ fans who want to read a truly captivating story._

_As for anime, I have a couple for you good people. The first is one I found called "Kokoro Connect". This is for anyone interested in Gender Swap topics and I know there are a large number of you out there. It's about a group of friends (2 boys, 3 girls) who swap bodies and a number of other things. It has the humour you'd normally associate with such a topic, but then it actually asks a number of really relevant questions about what would happen psychologically if something like this actually happened. Quite worth the watch as it really makes you think._

_The next is a new anime to 2013 and it goes by the name of "Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sō Desu yo?", or in English, "__Problem Children are Coming from Another World, Aren't They?" It's about 3 kids with CRAZY powers who get transported into another dimension to participate in these things called 'Gift Games'. I won't say much more on it, but I will say the main male character is a total badass. So awesome and seriously that funny I've nearly pissed myself several times._

_Anyway, I'll finally sign off now, so I will leave you all to yourselves until the next update. It won't be as regular as once a week as it once was, but I'll try keep it to at least once a month. Take care until then!_

_Lanky Nathan_

_P.S. Happy birthday to me! \ ^_^/_


	29. Chapter 29

Though the wind ruffled his clothing and his hair whipped about his face violently, Naruto sighed happily as he spiralled through the sky. If anyone had told him even three months ago he'd be doing this, he'd have laughed in their face.

He'd have most probably then jumped right into training but still, the fact remains he would have mocked them.

Letting his gaze turn towards the trees rushing past him at a rapid pace, the ninja couldn't help but wonder why someone hadn't tried to accomplish this. Granted, there was that weird clan he met _ages_ ago that flew with those weird purple chakra wings, but it just wasn't the same.

Dropping down lower, the blond reached out a hand and let it smack through the fresh leaves growing from the tops of the trees. Chuckling, he then leant back and lifted up into the sky. How had no one ever tried something like this before? He'd never felt so free.

Flipping upside down, the teen watched the inverted world shoot along, hills and valleys passing him in seconds as he neared his goal. What he didn't expect to see though was only the footings of the council building being laid as he finally arrived.

Blinking in surprise, the ninja righted himself and dropped to the ground. Landing with a soft thud just outside the construction zone, Naruto looked around at the various workers. Raising a hand, he tried calling out. "Oi! Can anyone tell me what's going on here?"

The majority of the workers though just cast him a sidelong glance before getting back to work. One teenager wasn't worth wasting time and money over. Trying again, Naruto ended up with the same result. Huffing angrily, the blond looked about. Not seeing much else, he shrugged and dipped under the barricade.

Walking over to what appeared the foreman, he poked his head over his shoulder as the man explained a section of the plans to several builders. "… goes here. I've been informed that when we get to this stage, some mages will be sent in who can defy logic and get this section built for us. For now though, we just need to focus on reinforcing the extremities as it will be supporting a lot of weight over a rather small space."

Blinking in confusion, Naruto reached past the man and pointed at a large crystal that appeared to be floating in the air. "But how is that meant to stay up?"

Sighing irritably, the foreman slapped his hand to his face. "For the thousandth time Deck, the mages are going to…"

Having opened an eye, the foreman frowned in confusion as he looked over the young boy. "Oi, what are you doing in here? This is out of bounds, so play somewhere else. Someone get him out of here?"

Grunting, Naruto held his ground. "So now you pay attention to me. What I wanted to ask was where can I find one of the council members? I have something I really need to speak with them about."

Growling, the annoyed man waved a hand at him. "Seriously kid, I don't have time for this. Get lost."

Frowning, Naruto shook his head. "You don't understand, I _really_ need to talk with them."

Turning to face him fully, the foreman tried to loom over the smaller blond. "And you don't understand, I _really_ don't care! This area is out of bounds for civilians!"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto batted away a set of hands that tried to grab him. "Stop being such a prick for a moment. I'm not your average person." And with a wave at his chest, the foreman's eyes widened in shock as he saw the Wizard of the Ten Saints badge attached to Naruto's jacket.

"What the devil is this? How'd you get your paws on that?"

Naruto wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "Oh, I just stole it off one of the most powerful people in the whole world. What the hell do you think? Now are you gonna tell me where I can find a council member or not?"

Feeling a little bit of his former courage start to slip away, the foreman steeled his face as best he could. "After this place was destroyed they all disappeared, so I don't know and I don't care. Mages and all that type of business doesn't interest me or any of my men here. So long as I get paid I'm happy. Now will you please leave?"

Moaning in frustration, Naruto kicked a clump of dirt at the foreman before spinning around and stomping away with his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Some help you were. Useless old man."

"I heard that!"

"And I don't care!" Grumbling darkly to himself, Naruto nearly made it to the barricade when a voice called out to him. "Excuse me, can you wait a moment?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Naruto watched as a youngish male ran over and skidded to a stop in front of him. "Sorry for eaves dropping but I couldn't help but hear that you're looking for a council member?"

Nodding, Naruto turned around. The man himself wasn't all that remarkable, what with shaggy brown hair, a dirty work uniform on and a pair of muddy boots, but the twinkle in his eye couldn't help but tell Naruto that the man recognised him. "Yeah? Anyone will do, I'm in a hurry."

Smiling, the man nodded. "No problem! Uh, I don't know where they are exactly, but I did hear from a friend that he saw one of the council members getting ready to leave here about now. I'm not sure who, but from what he told me I think he's headed for Hargeon. If you left now you could probably catch him pretty easily."

A grin stretched across Naruto's face and he reached out to pat the man's shoulder. "Gee, thanks! I'm glad not everyone is like that grumpy old fart over there."

Chuckling sheepishly, the worker played with the hem of his shirt. "Awww, he doesn't mean bad. He's just over worked I think. Don't hold it against him."

Looking over flatly as the foreman screamed at someone, Naruto shrugged. "Whatever. Anyway, thanks for the help mister!"

Just as he was about to leave though, the man grabbed his sleeve. "Oh, can I please ask one more thing?"

Blinking, Naruto nodded. The man began twitching embarrassedly and began fiddling with the hem of his shirt again. "Well, me and my family have been a bit of a fan ever since we read about you in the Sorcerer Magazine, so I was wondering if I could perhaps get an autograph?"

Eyes widening in surprise as a broad grin stretched over Naruto's face, the blond nodded. "Yeah, sure! I suppose I could!"

Eyes lighting up in happiness, the man instantly dived into one of his pockets. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! My son will be so happy to find out what I got him!"

Chuckling, Naruto took the extended hanky and pen. Dropping down by a randomly discarded steel girder, Naruto held the pen up. "So who am I writing to?"

Swallowing nervously, the man replied, "Deck Crous. Actually no, can you make it Austin Crous? That's my son."

Nodding, Naruto's tongue slipped out of his mouth slightly as he scribbled his name down. Grinning one done, he handed the hanky back. "There ya go!"

Struggling to hold back a gasp, the newly introduced Deck read the message. "To Austin Crous, stay awesome! From U… Uzu… maki Naru… to?"

He looked up in confusion as he tried to sound out the name. Winking, Naruto gave him the thumbs up. "Yup, that's me, Uzumaki Naruto! And don't you forget it!"

Beaming widely, Deck nodded. "Ah, ok I won't forget! Uzumaki 'The Orange Rocket' Naruto!"

Blanching, Naruto had to catch himself before he face planted. It looked like that accursed nickname was still following him around.

XxXxXxX

Airborne again, keen eyes swept across the landscape as Naruto searched for the supposed Council mage. There weren't too many paths leading from the relatively secluded area, so the blond bargained that he had a pretty good chance of catching up soon.

Glancing out to the left, Naruto just spotted the back end of a carriage as it disappeared around a rocky outcrop. Grinning and banking in the air, Naruto weaved off towards the buggy and dropped his altitude.

Quickly catching up, Naruto flew over the roof and looked down at the person driving. Eyes widening in recognition, Naruto couldn't have hoped for anyone better.

The usual three bladed hat the small man wore was now replaced with a short chefs toque. His outfit had also changed, the once odd dress code he adhered to replaced now with a baggy shirt and a set of worn overalls. Grinning widely, Naruto cut power to his limbs and fell into place beside the old man with a thump.

Well, if the horrified scream of shock from the council member wasn't enough to raise the dead then nothing was. Ears ringing violently, Naruto stared down at the man vacantly as he apparently screamed his head off at the young ninja. Not that he could hear anything mind you, the ringing was too loud.

As his advanced recovery righted his hearing though, words began floating through and Naruto began to think he shouldn't have done that. "… Dare you… my life… dead… swear, I have never been… in all my years! Shame on you!"

Crossing his arms in a huff, the small man then looked straight ahead and said not a word more. Watching him cautiously, Naruto wondered if he should apologise now or later. With the way he look at the moment though, Naruto doubted he'd even acknowledge his existence if he didn't give some form of apology. "Uh… I'm really sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you, I was just happy to see you. Call it my bad and I'll buy you a bowl of ramen to make up for it?"

Opening one eye a slit, a fierce pupil glared up at Naruto from under an extremely bushy eyebrow. "Make it two bowls with twelve pieces of pork in each and you have yourself a deal."

Grinning widely, Naruto quickly accepted the terms. Ah ramen, was there anything you couldn't fix? Sweet broth of the gods.

So with that taken care of, Naruto gripped the seat between his legs and began swinging back and forth. "So old man, how have you been? It seems like forever since we spoke last!"

Sighing as the last of the heart arrhythmias subsided; Yajima cracked a small smile and snapped the reigns attached to the beast pulling them along. "Well, aside from you nearly giving me a stroke, not too bad I suppose. I quit being a councillor in favour of taking up a rather long time dream of me being a chef. Having only been out for a few days, I can already feel youthful rejuvenation filling my body."

Pausing in his swinging, Naruto blinked and stared down at the small man. "What? Why did you quit? You seemed like the only one of those uptight members that had any idea what was going on!"

Sighing, the old man rubbed his forehead. "Well… after Ultear and… Zearad was it? I can't remember; after they betrayed us, you have no idea of how much of a failure it was and the level of incompetence that subsequently hung over the council. I had had enough and quit after that, but from what I've heard most everyone's jobs are on the line. There is to be a massive overhaul of the council at the King's request with whole new groundwork being set for an entirely fresh council."

Looking up to the sky in consideration, Naruto mused out loud, "So that's why it was taking so long to rebuild everything. I would have expected it to pretty well been finished by now."

Nodding, Yajima hummed softly in agreement. Changing the subject, the former council member gave his reigns another snap. "So what brings you out this way?"

Naruto frowned and sombrely looked down at his hands. "Well, it was actually something I'd have liked to have discussed with the council. I had something happen with me earlier that could prove quite dangerous if left unchecked. Actually, I'm kinda glad it's only you. The rest of your old work mates didn't seem as understanding as you."

Noting the change in mood, Yajima stared at Naruto for a moment before asking quietly, "What was this thing exactly?"

While still uncomfortable with the topic, Naruto decided to stop being so hesitant and just be out with it. Mostly. "Well, I have something within me, a dangerous and vile power that I keep locked up with my body to prevent it from destroying the world. What happened was that this power started leaking from me. I didn't have any control over its escape and while I managed to hold it back, the fact it was escaping from me without my actual drawing on it is what scares me. The worst part though is I have no idea what could be making it happen."

A deep hum rumbled from Yajima's chest as he processed the information. Taking his time, the man considered the problem before talking. "Well… this certainly is a reason for concern isn't it? Might I ask that you show me a small fraction of this power so I can see if I recognise it?"

Chuckling, Naruto shook his head. "No offence but I highly doubt you've ever felt anything like it ever. Let's just say it's not from here."

Undeterred, the small man stared up at Naruto. "Perhaps, but that isn't to say that it wouldn't help me in the future. I could possibly even direct you in the right direction if I got a clue as to what we are dealing with exactly. I would urge you, but I can see that it is a rather touchy topic for you."

Absently sucking his lip in and chewing on it, the blond considered his options. There wasn't much else he could go on, and this could very well help old man Yajima with working out what was going on. Besides, his guts trusted the small fellow and his instincts were rarely wrong.

Deciding that the risk was probably worth it, Naruto sighed and consented. "Yeah, ok. Let's just stop a moment and go into the trees a little. The… hog wouldn't like it."

Looking at the strange animal pulling the small wagon, Naruto couldn't really think of it as anything else. A really big, purple hog. It gave a bit of a grunt as Yajima pulled up on the reigns and slowed to a stop. Jumping down, the small man wandered over to a tree and then tied the leather straps around a sturdy looking branch. Smiling up at Naruto, he then held a hand out. "Lead the way."

Not really all that excited with what he was about to show, Naruto sucked up his reservations and slipped off his seat. "Ok, I guess we'll just walk that way for a bit then."

Not saying anything, the old man simply crossed his arms behind his back and followed the taller blond. Five minutes into the walk, Naruto looked around. "Yeah, here looks good."

Turning, he then faced the man. "I'll warn you now, I've been told that when I pull this stuff out, it feels like I want to attack you. I won't, it'll just feel like it."

Nodding, Yajima didn't say anything and just stepped back expectantly. Taking one last breath, Naruto closed his eyes and dug into the power source within him.

"_**Back for more I see?"**_

Not really wanting to deal with Kyuubi just now, Naruto stuck to short answers. "I'll be gone soon. Just showing Yajima-san a bit of you."

A deep chuckle echoed through Naruto's mind as the caged beast undoubtedly grinned wide. _**"Be careful then little human. You wouldn't want another accident to occur like before."**_

Doing his best to ignore the menacing feeling, Naruto frowned and focused on drawing the powerful chakra out. "Don't you worry about that. I have control this time."

Another deep laugh filled the teen's mind as he succeeded in pulling the power forth. Cutting off the sound, Naruto opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. His fingers had only clawed slightly and he imagined he wasn't looking too feral, but the sensation was still slightly unpleasant. Looking to Yajima, Naruto was happy to see the man hadn't run away. He did look a touch on edge, but other than that perfectly normal. "Well now, that certainly is something."

Nodding, Naruto flexed his hands. "Yeah. Pretty intense."

Humming, the old man nodded. "Very well, you can let it go now. I have a good feeling for it."

Letting out a calming breath, the blond felt his hair smoothen out somewhat and his fingernails awkwardly retract back into his fingers. Wriggling them to dispel the sensation, Naruto looked at the old man expectantly. "Well, as you said I have never felt anything quite like that before. And you say this was pulled forcibly from you?"

The blond nodded. "Yeah, just a day or two ago. It hasn't happened since, but I don't want to take any chances."

Yajima rubbed his chin in thought. "Well now, that makes it tricky when you have no leads."

Sighing despondently as he heard that, Naruto began to wonder about other available options when the old cook continued. "However, I do believe you could possibly look into something darker. This power of yours is rather sinister and as such I'd imagine unsavoury folk would love to get their hands on it."

Thinking about his run-ins with the Akatsuki, Naruto nodded and chuckled humourlessly. "You couldn't be more right."

The man grunted in agreement. "So with that in mind, perhaps you could investigate some of the dark guilds then. We have problems with them from time to time and it wouldn't surprise me if something like that was connected to them."

Ok, now the old man was talking. Raising a keen eyebrow, the blond started fidgeting. "Alright, alright! Where can I find one of these things?"

Frowning in thought, Yajima mused, "Well, I haven't heard about much activity lately. I have heard rumours though that something might be happening far north."

Grinning widely, Naruto balled his fists. "Great! That's as good a place to start as any! Thanks heaps Old Man!"

"Hear me out though Naruto." Pausing in his excitement, the blond looked down as the elder's voice grew deeper. "These dark guilds, they usually stay off the magic council's radar because we have so much influence and support. For a dark guild to be venturing into something dangerous like this, they either have to be absurdly stupid, or extremely dangerous. Even someone of your strength should watch their back if going into something like this alone."

Taking the warning to heart, the ninja smiled resolutely and gave the man a thumbs up. "Don't you worry about that. I'll take care of myself for sure!"

Nodding in satisfaction, Yajima crossed his arms behind his back. "In that case, I wish you all the luck in working this out. You take care of yourself, and maybe stop past my new restaurant at some stage? I'm heading down to Hargeon so don't be a stranger."

Naruto grinned as the first ripples of wind began leaking from his body. "Of course! Thanks so much for the information!"

As he lifted off though, a final question entered Naruto's mind. "Oh, and before I go, do you know where Ultear would be? I promised her I'd come say hello!"

Lifting a hand to his mouth, Yajima called out, "I believe her to still be in hospital. There is a small makeshift camp just outside of the old council building. If you fly high enough I'm sure you could spot it."

Saluting, Naruto shouted a "Thank you!" and then whooshed into the sky.

XxXxXxX

Hovering what he estimated to be about three hundred feet above the ground, Naruto looked over the rolling landscape as he tried to spot the small estate. "Alright, where are you… ah-ha."

Spotting a slowly curling beacon of smoke not too far from his location, the blond arced in and dropped to the ground just outside the area. Walking in, he curiously looked around.

There were several people milling about, a few looking like they were on break while others were crisply walking from one wooden cabin to another. The four or so cabins themselves were relatively well made, looking like they were able to house up to twenty people in each if they had bunk beds. Another building stood separate to them, looking a little more flashy than the houses, signifying that was probably the reception. In the middle of it all though was a small fire with three men seated around it, casually conversing with one another.

Deciding the little office was probably the best place to go, Naruto wandered past the group and waved at them when they noticed him. They waved back hesitantly, unsure what to make of him but anything else they did was missed as the blond pulled the office door open and strolled inside.

Looking around, the first thing Naruto took note of was all the white. The ceiling, walls, flooring, dividers, desks; everything was white, even the windows seemingly tinted. Not eye glaringly so, but enough to make it monotonous.

Sitting at the front desk was a professional looking woman in her mid thirties. Her hair was pulled back in a bun and she was currently engaged with what looked like a worker from the council building. Looking behind him, there was a chair he hadn't noticed before, so he slipped into it and waited as patiently as he could for them to finish.

Thankfully it didn't take too long and with a final goodbye, the man left but not before shooting a curious glance at the orange clad teen. Giving the man a wave as the door closed, Naruto pushed himself to his feet and walked up to the desk with a smile. "Hey there! I was wondering if you could help me?"

Looking up in disinterest, the woman replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't help those who are not a part of the council restoration. The plans are to be kept secret until the building is finished."

Shaking his head, Naruto corrected her. "No, I'm not interested in that. I just wanna know where the hospital is. There's someone there I want to see."

Raising an eyebrow, the woman let out a breath. "And who would be asking?"

The blond poked a thumb at his chest. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

Looking down, the lady quickly flicked through a small pile of neatly kept papers before looking back up. "I'm sorry, you don't appear to even live here. I didn't think I had seen you before and you aren't on any list to be coming in. This area is out of bounds for civilians so may I ask how you found this place?"

Looking over his shoulder, Naruto pointed in roughly the direction of the old man. "Yajima. He told me I could find my friend here."

Raising her eyebrow further, the woman countered, "Well, that's a bit of a surprise. It still doesn't give you any reason to be here though, unless you have some authority I don't know about."

Naruto began to wonder what the point was of wearing the Saints badge when the people who needed to see it never bothered looking. "I'd say this is authority enough."

Both eyebrows rose this time and the woman bowed her head slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise."

Spying her name badge, Naruto shrugged and waved it off. "No problem Marria. So, recon you could tell me where the hospital is?"

Nodding, the surprisingly tall woman stood and walked to one of the windows. Pointing down past the cabins, the lady explained, "Just walk straight past cabins one and two. You'll find a small path that leads down from there for about one hundred meters or so. You'll find the hospital there."

Finally getting a straight answer, Naruto beamed at the lady. "Thanks heaps! I'll catch ya later!"

And pulling the door open, Naruto excitedly slammed it closed behind him as he ran past the still confused men at the fire.

XxXxXxX

Reaching the end of the path, Naruto looked up at the largish building. It looked more like a medical center than a hospital, but that didn't matter as it still served its purpose.

Running up to the front door, Naruto stopped for a moment as the doors smoothly opened automatically for him. Spotting the reception desk, Naruto ran up to find a male sitting behind it looking pretty bored. Trying to calm his twitching legs, Naruto grinned as he made eye contact. "Hey! I'm looking for Ultear?"

Shaking his head, the man sighed as he spoke. "I'm sorry sir, but you cannot see her. You should already have known she is under guard."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto pointed at the missed badge. "Um, hello Wizard of the Ten Saints here? Pretty sure I can see her if I want."

That earned him a raised eyebrow. Looking the teen over in relative disinterest, the man sighed again and reached for his walky-talky. "I got a kid here who says he's a Wizard of the Ten Saints and wants to meet Ultear. Better come check."

As soon as he hung up, a pretty little nurse came out crisply from a room down the hallway. She eyed the man distastefully for a moment before turning to Naruto and smiling. "Hello! I assume you're the Wizard Saint?"

Nodding happily, Naruto pointed at his badge. "Yup! Uzumaki Naruto, at your service."

Her smile faltered slightly as she didn't recognise the name, but the badge proved his status and that was enough for the slender nurse. Bowing slightly, she motioned for him to follow her as she started walking. "Well, I thank you for giving us the privilege of your presence. My name is Annikah. Don't mind Diest, he's like that all the time."

Chuckling as they turned a corner, Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Nice to meet ya. And that's ok, he reminds me of one of my friends."

Turning another corner, the blond silently noted the lack of any doors in this corridor. It seemed fairly well built too, the walls very thick if his senses were anything to go by. After a brief walk, they turned a full one hundred and eighty degree corner and came to a stop in front of a door.

Two tall Rune Knights stood either side of the entrance, their imposing figures complimented by the massive staffs they each held across it. Looking down at the two intruders, the one on the left asked, "What brings you down here nurse?"

Bowing slightly, she motioned to Naruto who was curiously trying to see through their full faced helmets. "I have here Uzumaki Naruto, a Wizard of the Ten Saints. He wishes to speak with Ultear."

Both turned their invisible eyes to the orange clad youth. Naruto stared back resolutely, still trying to peek through the thin slips that they were meant to see from. "What business does a man of your status have with the prisoner?"

Tilting his head slightly, Naruto squinted as he thought he caught sight of something. "I just promised her earlier I'd come and say hi. How do you see out of those?"

Ignoring the question, the guard shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that is not a valid enough reason. You'd have to have been sent here by a member of council to have enough clearance."

Dropping an eyebrow in irritation, Naruto waved at a wall. "Well, old man Yajima told me she'd be here so that should be enough clearance!"

That seemed to resonate between the two guards and they looked at each other for a moment. The one on the right inclined his head slightly and the other returned the gesture. "Very well, a man of your position wouldn't lie about this for risk of being instantly stripped of your title. Very well, you may enter."

Not realising that a simple lie carried so much weight, the blond swallowed and silently thanked the men that they hadn't pushed him to the point of snapping. Nodding slightly as they allowed him entrance, Naruto quickly turned and waved goodbye to Annikah as the door closed behind him.

Turning forward, the teen then had to stop abruptly as another guarded door rose before him. Grunting agitatedly, he looked up at the seeming twins of the men outside. "Oi, you gonna let me through?"

Nodding slightly, the man pulled his lance back. "We just had to make sure you were indeed telling the truth. Our sensor said you were nervous, but that was it."

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Naruto whipped his head around. "What? Where is he?"

The other guard pulled his lance back as he answered. "It's a machine. It takes note of certain body motions and accurately works out if the person in question is truthful. That is all you need to know."

"Ah." So that's why he couldn't sense anything weird. The whole building was filled with machinery and stuff. Still, the blond made sure to be particularly alert as he slipped into the room.

As the door closed shut behind him, Naruto had to blink his eyes as the light became rather artificial. While the rest of the hospital was extremely open, in here it felt more like a closed box. A softly glowing blue light behind a curtain caught his attention so pulling it aside, he was surprised to find a large, translucent cube wrapped around a bed, the very girl he'd been searching for sitting inside it.

Keen brown eyes trained themselves on the surprise guest, the smirk pulling at her plump lips indicating she had known he'd been coming for at least a few moments. A book lay face down, pausing the imaginary journey for a moment. Slender hands crossed themselves over one another as they rested on the bed sheets that were pulled up to Ultear's waist. Sitting upright, a thin but covering night gown rested upon the lady's shoulders, comfortably covering her modesty, but not at all fitting in with her usual elegance.

Seeing Naruto beginning to well up in excitement, Ultear nodded slightly in his direction and smiled. "Hello there Naruto. I wasn't expecting to see you."

Grinning widely, Naruto jumped at the girl. "Ultear-chan! Long time no see!"

A vibrant explosion of sparks lit up the room as Naruto connected with the barrier and was thrown backwards. Landing heavily on his back, Naruto caught his breath as Ultear's amused voice reached his ears. "Only you, Uzumaki. Only you would jump head first into a top Rune Knight barrier."

Moaning, the blond pulled himself up and poked the barrier again. Sparks shot out from the point of contact but that was it. Frowning unhappily, Naruto looked at his friend. "Well this sucks. I can't even say hi properly!"

Shrugging, Ultear motioned to a seat just outside the barrier. "I'm sorry for that, but the Rune Knights seem rather adamant that I am to have no outside contact with the world until after the new council works out what to do with me. Please, take a seat."

Dropping into the seat, Naruto crossed his arms and glanced at the woman. "Well, you can't really blame them after what you did you know? I mean, seriously, that's probably the dumbest thing you could have done. Coming from me, that means you _really_ screwed up."

The raven haired beauty's eyebrow twitched in slight annoyance but it passed quickly enough. "Forgive me for not explaining the full reason of my actions. I'd rather not talk about such things while being watched by unsavoury people."

Looking around, Naruto's eyes thinned as he tried to sense anyone around. The walls must have been made with some form of suppressant because outside the room felt really muffled. **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)** could have probably seen through it easily enough, but that wasn't why he was here.

So turning back to the girl, Naruto grinned widely and started swinging his legs. "So, how have you been anyway? I mean, after you woke up."

A disgruntled smile pulled at Ultear's lips as her eyebrow twitched again. "You really… roughed me up a considerable amount. Several cracked ribs, internal bruising and a couple of chipped teeth."

Chuckling sheepishly, Naruto ran a hand through his hair. "Well I _did_ say I would."

Inclining her head slightly, the woman continued. "The first few days were fairly blurry, between the treatment and painkillers. Once I healed though, it has been one big party in here by myself."

Pursing his lips, Naruto looked around the tiny room. Outside of her bed, Ultear had a small desk with a lamp, a sink with a single plastic cup and a raised wall that partially hid a toilet. Not much privacy by anyone's measure. "Wow… so you've been stuck in here for… how long?"

A shrug met his question. "Without windows I lost track of time. All I know is it's felt like an eternity." Her features then smoothed over and she gave Naruto a smile. "So, what's been happening in the outside world then? Care to inform a helpless prisoner?"

'More than you could imagine.' Externally though, Naruto simply smiled in return and scratched his head in thought; carefully picking out choice events from his memory. "Well, after _I_ got out of hospital, I ended up staying at Akane Resort for a few nights."

An honest look of envy crossed the girls face when she heard this. "Ohhh… Uzumaki, should I ever make it out of here that will definitely be one of my holiday destinations. I have always wanted to go!"

Chuckling happily, Naruto pointed a thumb at himself. "Yeah, I'll come with you! If you're good, I'll even pay for your room. I got a bit of money saved up."

Licking her lips, Ultear wasn't shy about letting her eyes drift for a moment. "Oh, I'll have to make sure I'm on my best behaviour then won't I?"

Missing the blatant stare because of his closed eye smile, Naruto nodded. "Yup! What then, oh, met some of Erza's old friends, had a couple of good fights in the guild worth remembering, watched a bikini contest…"

Trailing off, a light blush dusted the teen's cheeks for a moment as he relived a shining moment in his life. Ultear's soft giggle brought him back with a start, the girl holding her hand up to her mouth. "It must have been a wonderful time then!"

Nodding, Naruto couldn't help but add, "You'd have looked amazing up there too! Assuming you came and joined the guild of course."

Casting her a sidelong glance, his face fell when she gave him a flat look. "While I'd have no problem entering something like that, my allegiances lie elsewhere so unfortunately for you, that won't be happening any time soon."

Grumbling for a moment, Naruto then continued. "What else… nothing too much I can think of really. I ran into that prick who labelled me the 'Orange Rocket' though. I told him what's up."

Smiling slyly, Ultear leant back while looking at the boy out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, you didn't like it? I thought it was actually really cute!"

Bristling, Naruto jumped to his feet. "IT IS NOT! It is the number one lamest, most useless, horrible… stupid…"

Trailing off as he realised he'd been baited, the blond dropped back into the chair with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest. "It still sucks."

Having giggled the whole time, Ultear wiped away a small tear of mirth and leant forward. "Oh Naruto, thank you so much for this. You have no idea how bored I've been within these walls! You and your jokes are exactly what I've needed."

Glancing at the girl, Naruto's frustrated face relaxed and he gave her a smile. "Well, I'm happy I could help brighten your day too! It sucks you're all cooped up like this. Do they really mean to keep you in here _all _this time without a drop of exercise?"

Sighing, the raven haired girl smiled and placed her cheek on one raised knee. "You know what I did. Why would they let someone like me out?"

Naruto shrugged. "I dunno, because you need fresh air like normal humans? Even if you're under guard, surly they could at least let you out for a few minutes. You wouldn't run away would you?"

Looking at the glowing prison she was in, the girl stretched out a hand and let her fingers spark against the barrier. "I couldn't, even if I wanted to."

Frowning as he watched Ultear detachedly drag her fingers across the blue wall, Naruto then suddenly jumped to his feet and yelled out, startling Ultear. "Oi! What is wrong with you, keeping her constricted like this? She's back and I bet she's sorry! She wouldn't run away because if you went with her, she couldn't! So you can't even let her outside to do a little exercise at all?"

Wide eyes studied the teen as he shouted at the walls, Ultear's mouth hanging open ever so slightly. Once Naruto realised that he wasn't going to get an answer, he turned to face the girl and dropped an eyebrow when he saw her expression. "What?"

Blinking, the girl composed herself a bit. Her eyes didn't lose that questioning look though as she asked, "Why did you do that?"

Not expecting that, Naruto blinked in surprise. "Do what?"

A hand motioned at the walls. "Call out for me. Tell them I should go outside. Claim I have apologised for my actions?"

Scratching his cheek, Naruto looked at the woman. "Well… because you have, haven't you?"

Considering it for a moment, Ultear shook her head. "Not yet I haven't."

"Oh." Dropping back into his seat, Naruto scratched his head. "Well that must be why they haven't let you out yet."

Ignoring the statement, Ultear frowned. "But why would you do it for me at all?"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto grinned. "Dur, because we're friends!"

"Even after I tried to kill you?"

The slightly rushed question made Naruto pause. While her face gave away nothing, something about the tone in the question was almost… needy? Considering the deceptive woman, Naruto nodded slowly. "Yes… I don't care about that. You were going down the wrong path and I had to stop you. So what if we fought? Friends fight. It's water under the bridge for all I care, so long as you realised you were wrong." A cheeky grin then crossed his face as he added, "Otherwise I'm gonna have to kick your ass again."

Her breath hitched as Naruto spoke. His flippant disregard for such a massive fight really hadn't crossed Ultear's mind. A small voice in the back of her head whispered that he must have had some _serious_ disagreements with other friends before.

Looking down at her hands, the intelligent female mulled over his words. She couldn't detect any deceit within his voice, so she had to assume he was completely serious. Looking back, Ultear couldn't think of any words to say to the expectant blond. Swallowing, the girl looked back down at her hands as she said two words that hadn't been truly meant in a long time. "Thank you."

Smiling softly as the words reached his ears, Naruto let out a slow breath through his nose. "Don't mention it. We're friends right? And I'd do anything for my friends. _Anything._"

Abruptly, the blue barrier that separated the two flickered for a moment before fading gently. Instantly suspicious, Ultear jumped out of her bed, senses alert as she tried to work out what just happened. In all her time here, not once had the barrier dropped. Even the doctor that came to check on her had a rune attached to his clothes that allowed him and a guard to pass through the barrier.

Naruto however took the disappearance in a completely different way. Grinning widely, he looked up at the walls and waved at them encouragingly. "Thank you! You'll see, she's changed for sure!"

Walking in confidently, he held his hands out to the still prone Ultear. "Come on, they even heard it! They must have known you would turn out ok after all!"

Looking at the teen, Ultear considered her options.

Attack him while he was unready, knock him out and flee. She'd probably make it if she acted fast enough. Risky though, considering his reflexes.

Let him lead her out the door before locking him within the room. The walls were thick so it should be able to hold him in for at least enough time for her to escape. More probable since he currently trusted her.

Wait until he gets close enough and pinch the nerves in his neck. Fast, effective and easily concealed as a hug until the movement was complete.

When Naruto did reach her though, the treacherous thoughts began to fade. His wide, trusting grin and bright blue eyes seemed to hold her in such high regard that the longer Ultear looked at him, the more guilty she felt.

The image of Naruto sealed within ice suddenly flashed through her mind and brought with it a painful stab of guilt. Unable to meet his gaze any longer, the former council mage looked away. 'I tried to kill him, and yet here he is standing up for me. This… no, come on Ultear, this doesn't matter… this present doesn't matter. Next time you can get to know him properly, the proper way. None of this attempted killing… now, pinch those nerves and escape.'

Yet as Naruto pulled her into a warm hug, her hands seemed to grow a mind of their own and instead of sliding up towards the base of his neck, simply wrapped themselves around his middle and allowed herself to be pulled in close.

"It's so good to see you again! I missed you!"

Almost hiccupping, the girl had to bite down on her lip as unwanted emotions began to boil within her chest.

Now didn't matter. This time did not matter. Nothing currently mattered, since soon, everything will be fixed. Not even Naruto mattered, no one did. Not at the moment.

But for some reason, it did.

Suddenly, a ridiculously powerful explosion ripped through the room as fragments of Lacrima and wall went everywhere. The embracing couple were sent flying, Naruto only just managing to manipulate his body under the Ultear's as the two of them smashed into the back wall. Grunting in pain, Naruto slipped to the floor as Ultear looked about in shock. Coughing, Naruto opened an eye a fraction and looked around. "What is going on?"

Unable to answer, Ultear just shook her head. "I really don't know…"

Looking through the dust that filled the air, both of them tightened their muscles as silence washed over them. There wasn't any shouting, no alarm, nothing.

As the white cloud drifted towards them, Naruto's keen eyesight caught something move in the background. Training his vision on that, he was caught completely unaware as a flash of pink blindsided him from the other direction, a powerfully charged punch connecting solidly with his cheek before sending him flying through the wall and out into the main area of the hospital.

Vision swimming, the ninja moaned as he sat up while rubbing his swelling jaw. Whatever just hit him hit him _hard_. Ultear's startled voice rounded him quickly though and he pulled himself to his feet. "Ultear? What was that, are you ok?"

The girl replied but the still falling fragments of wall and Lacrima muffled her voice out. Shaking away the last of the pain, the blond waved clear some dust as he peered in through the hole he made. "I'll be there in a second!"

He made it one step in when his senses kicked in and the blond bent back flat, his knees straining to hold him up in the awkward position as that same flash of pink just barely missed taking his head off.

Stretching out his arms, the ninja completed a back handspring and landed crouched, ready for whatever it was. "Who are you? Why do you keep trying to kill me?"

In answer, a soft voice floated in from somewhere within the hospital, surprising the teen as it was distinctly female. "Orange Rocket, Wizard Saint of the Fairy Tail guild. You are Number Two. Prepare yourself."

Growling, Naruto raised an indignant fist. "IT'S NOT ORANGE ROCKET FOR THE LAST DAMN TIME! How many people am I going to have to tell before everyone realises? It's Uzumaki Naruto!"

Still growling through clenched teeth, Naruto twirled around to watch as a young girl stepped out through the fog of dust. "Your name is irrelevant. Prepare yourself."

As he got a proper look at her though, the blonds' fist relaxed and an eyebrow rose in confusion.

Emotionless gray-green eyes calculated his movements as he stood up, her smooth features showing nothing of what was going on in her thoughts. Shoulder length hair covered her head; the strands kicking out at the tips save for two lengths of her fringe that curved protectively around her jaw line.

Nestled within her locks was a peculiar ornament, something Naruto had yet to see anywhere else. A band around her head supported a strange form of headgear, the defining point of it being the face length wings that stuck out a good foot proudly, covering her ears and the sides of her skull.

From her shoulders hung a long red, knee length cape that was hemmed with a fabric that was a bright yellow, bordering gold. A strange symbol seemed to have been sewn onto the left side of it too, the actual marking being no bigger than the shoulder it sat on.

Beneath that was a strange uniform that Naruto had trouble seeing due to the cape. A bicep length vest covered her torso, finishing just as it touched her thighs and tied off at her waist with a thin brown belt. Under that though, it looked like she was ready for a dip at the beach with a simple gray, one piece swimsuit covering her modesty.

Her legs were completely covered with brown, mid thigh length boots that hugged her skin tightly, the material looking extremely tough. As she flicked her cape back to ready her arms, the blond noted that all she really had as protection for her upper limbs were a simple set of brown elbow pads and matching gloves.

All in all, it was a rather peculiar dress code that Naruto was having trouble taking seriously. If anything, she looked like she was ready for a dress-up party rather than a battle. Her youthfulness was also a bit strange, but the blond had long since learnt that it didn't matter how old they were, they could still kill.

Wondering if there was a way to avoid the fight, Naruto held his hands up disarmingly and tried to smile at the stony girl. "O- oi! What's going on huh? I can tell you're super angry for some reason, so let's try fix that. What's got you all worked up?"

Frowning ever so slightly, the strange preteen crouched and held her arm out. "That you are not dead. Here I come."

Twenty or so glowing swords then materialised around her as her magical power spiked. Looking at the strange weapons, Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You can requip too? And what was that about me not being dead? I haven't even done anything to you!"

"Enough." And with a swipe of her hand, the girl sent them all shooting in towards her opponent.

Crying out, Naruto started up an odd dance as he desperately stepped around the gleaming swords. Rolling out of the way, a sudden burning sensation rushed through his leg as it was hit. Hissing in pain, the blond vaulted over the last sword and landed on his good leg while cradling his injured one.

Looking down at the limb, he got a shock though when he realised there wasn't any blood despite the sharp pain. Patting it, Naruto still flinched but determined nothing was actually wrong. Looking up at his adversary, the teen tenderly put his leg back to the floor. "So what's the deal with that? Why aren't I bleeding?"

Deciding that was a worthy question for a change, the girl explained as she formed another dozen more. "These are my **Blades of Sensation**. They attack your sense of pain directly."

Flinging the next batch at Naruto, the strange girl frowned as the teen suddenly began dancing around the weapons again, seemingly without tenderness. Once he had dodged them all again, she pointed at the blond. "Why aren't you favouring the injury? There is no way that doesn't hurt."

Wincing slightly, Naruto chuckled and shrugged. "Well, you just told me this things weakness. It attacks my nerves, so physically I'm fine. It hurts like an absolute bitch, but with the knowledge that nothing is actually wrong, it isn't too hard to block out the pain."

That seemed to strike a chord within the girl and she tisked irritably. "You are just trash. Let the pain possess you like it should."

Wrinkling an unamused nose as he heard that, Naruto held his hands out to the sides and copied her stiff talking style, complete with monotone. "You-are-trash. Blah-blah-blah-I-am-robot."

Finally gaining a reaction, the girl's cheeks lit up in a pink much the same shade as her hair as more swords began appearing above her. "Q-quit copying me!"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto sighed as the next wave of weapons was shot at him. "You're a bit of a one trick pony aren't you? Fine, let's get this over with."

Avoiding the first three easily enough, the blond then attacked, weaving his way through the swords and aiming right for the girl. Rearing back an arm, Naruto made sure to tone down the attack a bit so he wouldn't punch a hole clean through her stomach.

Lashing out, Naruto noticed the girls arm flash a moment before his fist met her stomach and blew her back through the wall. What happened next though surprised the teen immensely. A sudden force lodged itself within his own stomach, curling around as whatever it was pushed deep into his abdomen before he himself was blown backwards through several walls and a door.

Coughing slightly, Naruto groaned and held his sore abs as he pulled himself upright. "What the hell just happened?"

Looking around from his spot, he noticed several nurses all lying on the ground, either asleep or unconscious. "Huh, so that explains that then."

Standing up, the teen then dusted himself down, but froze when he noticed something on his arm. Something very _pink _on his arm. Looking at it closer, he realised it was in the form of a bracelet with a band going around his wrist. The worst part though was the three circles on top of his arm, interlinked with a single line and a bright, throbbing, pink love heart right smack dab in the middle circle.

"Yuck! Pink? What is this, get it off me!"

Swiping at his skin, Naruto desperately tried to remove the unwanted symbol but the stubborn mark would not move. Next, he gripped his wrist and started trying to pull it off, the idea that if enough pressure was applied, he could force it off.

Hopping about in frustration as he desperately tried to get it off, Naruto heard a crash and turned his gaze over to the wall as the girl walked out. Growling, he pointed at his wrist and then at the identical one he noticed on her own arm. "Oi, what did you do to me?"

While her shoulders still seemed to be heaving slightly from the after affects of Naruto's attack, she still spoke evenly and plainly. "This would be my magic, **Sensory Link**. Now we are connected and share each other's pain. Anything you do to me will automatically happen to you."

Moaning, Naruto looked down at his wrist. "Yeah that's cool and all, but can you make it orange? Pink is… just no."

Momentarily taken aback, the girl looked down at her wrist. "What's wrong with it?"

Frowning, Naruto crossed his arms. "It's not manly. Orange is manly, pink is girly. It looks fine on you, but on me it just looks gay."

Shaking her head, the girl calmed herself and looked down her nose at Naruto. "What colour it is or isn't is none of your concern. It still means your death."

Raising an eyebrow, the blond boy looked at her sceptically. "Oh? And how do you plan to do that when you're linked with me?"

A smug grin slowly crept across the girls face. "I have my ways. Now, die."

Unsure of what was to come next, Naruto readied himself for an attack when a loud voice from within the hospital sounded out. "Meredy! Stop this at once!"

Finally identified, Meredy's eyes widened in surprise and she turned to face the call. "Ultear! What do you mean?"

Stepping from the ruins, a dusty Ultear walked over with her hands on her hips to look down at the smaller girl. "I mean this. I couldn't care for what happens to this place, but what business do you have with Naruto?"

Eyes narrowing, the girl cast an angry glare over at the confused blond. "He was the one who captured you and prevented you from returning to the guild. He caused you pain and even had you locked up by those council scum for over a week until we could organise a rescue. His punishment should be nothing less than death."

The raven haired beauty's gaze darkened and Meredy instantly cowed beneath it. "I don't remember asking for assistance. Did it not pass though your minds that perhaps I was waiting for the right opportunity to escape?"

Looking away, the younger girl bit her lip as she was reprimanded. "But… but we wanted you out and I was worried… I volunteered."

Gaze softening somewhat, Ultear sighed and rubbed her brow. "Well, fine, what's been done has been done." Looking into the distance, the former council member frowned. "In any case, we should escape. I'm surprised no one has come to find out what the explosion was."

Looking up hopefully, Meredy explained. "Well, I made sure to knock out everyone within the area. No one should come to check until the workers return to their cabins."

Nodding, Ultear turned and began walking away. "Very well. Let us return to the guild now before anyone else comes."

"Wait!" Pausing, the pale woman looked over her shoulder. "Yes?"

Naruto had straightened up by this point and was looking at them calmly. "You are trying to escape again?"

Looking up at her superior, Meredy held out her hand to display her active connection. "Ultear, if you so wish you can incapacitate me for the journey home so he is unable to follow."

Ignoring Meredy, she looked over at Naruto, placing a hand on her hip and raising her chin. "Maybe? I don't remember apologising and I never promised you anything. While our talk was very nice, I'm sorry but this is where we must part."

The blond growled and clenched his fists. "When I said I'd kick your ass again, I really meant it. Though if I do have to do it again, it'll be twice as bad as what you first got. I promise you that."

Tilting her head acknowledgingly, the woman smirked. "Oh, I don't doubt it." Suddenly snatching up Meredy, the woman clamped her hands over the girl's mouth and nose, effectively cutting off her airways. "However, I do wonder how well you can fight without oxygen."

Instantly realising what was happening, Meredy relaxed into Ultear's grip. Naruto meanwhile was staring down in confusion as his hands rose to his throat. He could still breathe, he could feel his lungs filling with air and then emptying as per the usual process, but his nose felt like it was blocked up behind his eyes and his throat felt like it had permanently closed over. Gagging, he dropped to his knees and took a massive lungful of air. That changed absolutely nothing though as his vision began to swim and his body began to scream for air. Looking up at Ultear, the blond knew he had to do something or else it was over.

Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto desperately tried to attack but the rapid fatigue upon his muscles drained his strength. Easily sidestepping his attack, Ultear lashed out and kicked the blond powerfully right in the stomach. Flying back, his body connected solidly with a tree before he slumped to the floor. Eyes flickering through oxygen deprivation and pain, he managed to make out Meredy clutching her stomach in pain as her eyes finally fluttered closed.

Fading eyes slowly turned to Ultear and just before he passed out he saw her mouth, "Goodnight."

And then, his world went black.

XxXxXxX

A massive gasp sounded out through the clearing and Naruto sat bolt upright, hand clutching his aching chest and sweat running in streams down his face. Pained eyes surveyed the area as his foggy mind tried to remember what happened.

There had been Ultear… old man Yajima… that weird, pink haired girl, some explosions… the hospital…

Scrutinising the rubble, Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered the underhanded trick they had used. "Damn it…"

Pulling himself to his feet, Naruto wiped his brow and looked up to the sun. Not too much time had passed, but it was enough for two powerful mages like them to make good distance. Frowning as his breath finally returned, Naruto walked over to where they stood and looked at the ground. Their tracks had gone as he suspected.

It was then the thought crossed his mind, why didn't they kill him? Meredy clearly had a grudge against him and Ultear didn't seem like the type of person to leave loose ends. To only knock him out when they knew he'd come after them… Shaking his head clear of the questions for the moment, the ninja turned his eyes to the bushes.

Nothing… nothing… nothing… there. Walking over, Naruto bent down to look at the knee height snapped branch. The end piece was gone, but the bark had stripped on the back side of the branch indicating someone had had to have forcibly snapped it in a sideways direction.

Looking up, Naruto spied several other discrete clues indicating the direction of the females. Pushing off his knee, the blond took a breath and stilled, letting the natural energy of the earth fill him as **Senjutsu **quickly activated. Senses magnifying, Naruto pushed his abilities to their maximum as he tried to spot them.

Unconsciously frowning, the blond began nibbling on his lip as he searched. How far could a pair of mages actually get? Eventually, Naruto picked up on their trail. They were moving at speed and he couldn't help but whistle in surprise at their pace.

Opening his eyes, Naruto began gathering chakra within his palms when his stomach flipped. Sticking his tongue out at the odd sensation, he blanched when it happened again. Eyes widening as it happened again, he looked down. "No, no, no, not now… please not now…"

Disregarding his quiet pleas though, before his very eyes the blond watched as red chakra began bubbling out from his stomach, growing outward as it slowly grew to cloak his form. Taking a shaky breath as his features distorted, Naruto did his best to calm himself. 'Come on, what has everyone been telling you? You can control this, _you_ are the master of this power. It doesn't matter if it's coming out, you can still dominate it. Now, breathe.'

Inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth, Naruto felt a calm form of control begin to enter his mind. 'That's it, accept what's happening and now manage it.'

Taking another breath, the blond sighed peacefully until a sharp voice completely ruined his meditation. "Oi! You, over there! What happened here, did you do this?"

Instantly stiffening, Naruto peeked over his shoulder. Of all the times for the Rune Knights to turn up. "I'm not waiting! What happened? Answer me!"

Taking one last breath, Naruto turned around. Flinching as blood red eyes stared them down, the knights dropped their staves defensively as pressure suddenly started bearing down on them. The head knight snapped into a well memorised stance as the demon-like human gazed down at him. Swallowing his nerves, he spoke again. "Answer me I say!"

Holding his hands up disarmingly, Naruto shook his head. "No, it wasn't me! You see, I just came past for a visit when this girl, Meredy, suddenly attacked me. Ultear helped her knock me out and I was just about to go get them!"

Trained as they were, the guards couldn't help the small amount of bias the fear generated within their minds. "L-lies! You were trying to escape the scene of the crime!"

Snapping his gaze over to the knight down the back, Naruto growled in anger and focused on the poor man. "If I say I was here visiting, I was here visiting! Don't go calling me a liar when you don't even know me!"

Shaking his head, the man pulled a slip of papers from his vest. "I have the proof here! The only person to visit this place recently was the Temporary Wizard of the Ten Saints, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Blinking in surprise, it finally dawned on the blond. 'They don't recognise me!'

Realising this was probably a very good thing, Naruto shook his head. "Whatever. I don't have time for this."

All the knights then jumped into battle formation, surrounding the agitated blond and effectively cutting off his escape routes. "You are to come quietly with us, else we shall use force."

Grunting, Naruto looked at the one escape route they hadn't planned on. "Catch me if you can then."

Welling up a mass of chakra in his palms and feet, rocks and dust kicked away from the teen before he shot into the sky in a blaze of red.

XxXxXxX

**_*EDIT* - __I didn't realise Naruto passing out so quickly would cause such problems with everyone. Here's the reason for it._**

**_Yes, Naruto was beaten easily. Normally yes, he could last aaaages without air, but the main focus of this fight was the Sensory Link Meredy had with him. SHE was being suffocated, not him. She was also wanting to be choked, so with that in mind she was going to pass out faster, and in turn Naruto, affected by the Link, also passed out faster than normal._**

_**So while not epic, it was more a battle of tactics.**_

_A/N – There, chapter all done. I'm pretty happy with the development I've got going on here too, it's setting the stage nicely for what I have planned._

_In saying that, I'd like to ask maybe one or two of my regular readers if they wouldn't mind a little spoiler and if I could quickly bounce an idea off them? Just wanna make sure everything's headed in the right direction._

_Other than that, I don't think there's too much more to add. Till then I suppose._

_Lanky Nathan_

_P.S. Actually, there is one thing. I had a couple of people ask me questions lately that haven't signed into their accounts, assuming they have them. If you do have one, please sign in and ask me so I can reply. I don't do Q&A in the Author's Note, so the only way you'll get a reply to that valid question is by signing in. Thanks!_


	30. Chapter 30

Ignoring the surprised and furious cries of the knights, Naruto zeroed in on where Ultear and Meredy seemed to be. He was gonna catch them whether they liked it or not. Arcing over a low lying hill, the blond picked up several other small signs the mages had past this way and smirked. If they just thought they could take his trust and stamp all over it they were in for something else.

They seemed to be heading in a northerly direction so Naruto couldn't help but think they may have some knowledge of what was happening to him. It was unlikely Ultear knew much since she had been in captivity before the Kyuubi started playing up, but maybe Meredy knew something. Deciding that was a good place to start at, Naruto's mouth thinned to a tight line as he pushed himself along faster.

Shooting across the trees, Naruto could almost smell them when something registered in his mind. Wind was pushed out before the ninja and he snapped to a standstill, eyes looking out over the hills to the south-east. Narrowing his eyes as he focused on it more, he realised something from the Elemental Nations had appeared.

Of all the times for the package to arrive. Crossing his fingers, Naruto mumbled, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)**" and materialised an identical replica of himself. It too was shrouded within the Kyuubi Cloak and a set of dark red eyes stared back at him.

Ears pricked again though as something else jumped through the wormhole and Naruto raised an eyebrow. It seems like they had sent him what he asked for. Good thing too, his equipment pouch was feeling pretty light. So sharing a nod with his clone, he watched as it jetted off across the sky.

Now to find Ultear.

XxXxXxX

Dashing along, Ultear and Meredy shared a glance as they felt two identical power sources separate from one another. Each nodded slightly and pushed even harder in their attempt to escape. No words were needed to be exchanged to know that that powerful, evil _something_ after them wouldn't bode them any good whatsoever.

It had only just appeared on their radar fifteen or so minutes ago, but it did so with an overwhelming presence. For a split second Ultear had thought it was Zeref, but quickly squashed that thought as the power this figure was giving off was so much rawer and uncontrolled. For some reason it had appeared right where they had left Naruto and the taller female couldn't help but silently wonder if the blond teen was safe. Not that it really mattered.

The most unnerving part though was it was tracking them with almost no problem despite them clamping down on their own magical power as much as possible.

"Ultear… its coming."

"Hush." Silencing Meredy with a single word, Ultear focused on jumping the upcoming rock. It didn't matter what it was or how it found them, all they had to do was make the rendezvous point and they'd be ok. Problem was that it was still a long way off.

A single bead of sweat rolled down the raven haired girl's cheek as the foreboding presence rapidly approached. It would catch up in barely five minutes at its current pace. There was one option, but it was risky. The possibility of being caught by that though called for a drastic measure.

Drawing alongside her smaller companion, Ultear caught her attention. "Alright, what we're going to do is create a **Thought Projection **and have them run off in a westerly direction. We'll hide in the next outcrop and wait until whatever this thing is has chased them far enough away for us to escape."

A worried look entered Meredy's eyes though as the plan was laid out and she couldn't help but chew on her lower lip nervously. "B-but… Ultear, you know I'm not very good at **Thought Projections' **yet. What if I can't maintain it long enough?"

Resisting the urge to shout at the girl, Ultear swallowed her anger and forced a small smile to her face. "You'll be fine. I'm here with you so you can do it."

Buffered by the support, a small fire of determination entered the rosy haired girl's eyes and she nodded. "Ok, I can do it. For you!"

Merely accepting her resolve with a hum, Ultear's eyes surveyed the landscape. Spotting a suitable cave quickly, she grabbed Meredy and dragged her down into it. Concentrating, the mage generated a picture perfect replica of herself just outside the shallow cave. Grabbing Meredy's hands, she then looked deep into her eyes. "Ok, now remember the lessons. Focus on where you want yourself to be. Let the magic flow from you to fill that place. Now, let it take your form. Let your mind form it. Good…"

Looking outside, Ultear watched as a flickering Meredy slowly came into being. "That's it, now stabilise it with your mental strength. Remember, it is your mind that holds its form."

Sweat beads began rolling down her face but Meredy resolutely pushed on. Having your mind in two places simultaneously was an awkward sensation but that's just something she'd have to get used to.

"Good, now fill it with a bit more magic than what we were using to cover our signatures better. Clamp down on what you have and follow me."

Nodding, the girl stared at the floor and saw in her mind's eye Ultear take off in front of her at a rapid pace. Willing herself to follow, she began running behind her mentor.

Ultear meanwhile was watching the spot where that signature was coming from, nervously hoping their gamble would pay off. It didn't seem to be just yet, but it was still a little bit away. Ignoring the tickle of a sweat drop rolling off her nose, Ultear held her bated breath, closed her eyes and began willing whatever it was away. 'Come on, come on, come on… follow us, follow out thoughts you monster.'

It didn't seem to though and fingers began gripping fabric tightly as whatever it was bared down on them. Just when it felt like it was upon them, it banked sharply and shot off in the direction of their **Thought Projections**.

Dark eyes tracked its rapid progress and a breath Ultear didn't realise she'd been holding let itself out in a relieved whoosh. Hearing Meredy echo her sigh, the older lady quickly rounded on the girl. "We're not safe yet. It's still too close. I'll let you know when we can leave. Till then though, keep running."

Meredy nodded and didn't say anything but Ultear noticed the fists clamped down on her cape shivering slightly in effort. Shuffling closer, she held the girl and began whispering to her comfortingly. "Come on, you can do this. It's not too much further. Just hold it long enough to let us be able to run to the check point. Remember your training, you have this."

Wincing, Meredy nodded again but Ultear's heart dropped as she felt the magic fluctuate. Groaning softly, Meredy twitched and Ultear looked over in the direction her doppelganger was running. They had made good distance, but would it be enough…

Letting out a loud gasp, Meredy fell forward onto her hands, panting loudly and watching as drops of sweat wet the dirt under her. "I'm sorry… Ultear… I couldn't hold it."

Gritting her teeth, the mage ignored the failure and sent her twin a boost of power to hopefully gain them a few more minutes. Unfortunately, something red flashed before her mind's eye faster than she could comprehend and just before her form was dissipated, a bone chilling howl filled her mind as the mental connection was cut off. A soft, distant boom then reached their ears and Ultear all but dragged her companion out of the hole. It seemed whatever it was just had a bit of a tantrum.

"No restraint, full power and _run!_"

Magical power filled the duo and in a shot they took off towards the north. Not barely a kilometre into their dash though and a gravelly voice filled their ears from all around them. "You nearly had me there. Good try, but not good enough."

Skidding to a stop, both girls' eyes widened as they felt the distant energy simply disappear. A crunch before them roused their attention and both gasped softly as their gaze took in the bubbling humanoid before them.

A thick, red, frothing layer of something encased the male as he stood up, blazing red eyes locking with their own. Pale red hair swayed gently under his own power, indeed his whole person seemed to be tinged the colour. Thick, whisker like marks covered both his cheeks and sharp teeth protruded from his lips as they pulled back in a half smile, half snarl.

The strangest part of it all though was the highly recognisable clothing it was wearing. In fact, it looked exactly like what Naruto had been wearing…

Taking a deep breath as realisation washed over her, Ultear took a step back in shock. "Impossible… Naruto?"

Rolling his eyes, the transformed blond shook his head. "It seriously took you that long to recognise me? I thought you'd have picked up on it faster. After all, you're a master of hiding your true self under the undesirable, right?"

Ignoring the personal stab, Ultear pulled Meredy behind her and narrowed her eyes. "So it is you… how though? You didn't have an evil bone in your body! This though… this feels like death."

Laughing harshly, Naruto placed his hands on his hips. "You're a lucky one then. Most people throw up under the pressure."

Ultear swallowed nervously and nodded slightly. "I can imagine that happening."

The smirk on her opponents face then faded to be left with a determined scowl and he pointed a clawed finger at her chest. "So, will you be coming with me quietly, or will I have to beat more sense into you? I'll say it again, I wasn't lying when I said I'll come down on you harder. In this form it makes it harder to hold back too, so you might want to choose your answer carefully. I wouldn't want to accidentally break your pretty face."

Forcing herself to resist the urge to step back, Ultear tried to find her voice. "Wh- what happened to you? What is this power?"

Naruto let out another bark of laughter. "What makes you think I'll tell you that? You just ran all over my trust I had in you. I might forgive you, but if you _ever_ want to hear anything about me ever again, you have a lot of trust building to make up for. You will not trick me twice."

Breath hitching ever so slightly, Ultear couldn't help but recoil slightly as the words hit her right in the chest. That wasn't what she wanted, she wanted to know more about him! In the next life… that's when… not now though, so get your thoughts together girl.

Forcing a frown onto her face, Ultear pulled Meredy to her side. "You won't be able to do much if you pass out again."

The quiet girl raised her arm threateningly, a soft glow forming around her wrist. "Say the word Ultear…"

The demon-boy raised an unamused eyebrow and waved his hand around flippantly. "Go on, do it. I dare you. Things will be a little different this time though."

Realising his bribe, Ultear reached out to snatch Meredy's arm but the girl had fallen to his words. A bolt of pink light shot out from her arm to touch Naruto's own and the second the link was activated, the small mage dropped to the floor and promptly emptied her stomach contents over the ground. Coughing violently, she moaned as Ultear worriedly dropped to her side. "What did you do?"

Shrugging, Naruto looked down in disregard. "What can I say? I told you it'd be different."

Wincing, Meredy however remained steadfast and looked up to her partner. "Don't worry about me. I… I can handle this. Knock me out now."

Frowning, Ultear shook her head. "Not with you like this."

Hearing the sharp chink of metal being pulled free, both females looked up to see Naruto now playing with a single, diamond shaped knife. "That's ok, I can knock you out for her if you'd like?"

Laughing sickly, Meredy shook her head. "How are you meant to do that? If you do that, you pass out and we win."

Smirking, Naruto then gripped the knife in reverse and began dragging it softly across the skin of his palm. "Like this, we have a game of pain tolerance. From what I've seen though, I'm pretty sure I'll win."

Widening her eyes as he balanced the tip in the center of his palm, the small mage widened her eyes. "You wouldn't!"

Shrugging, Naruto applied pressure. "And you're wrong."

Letting out an ear-splitting scream, Meredy suddenly bucked in pain and gripped her hand as the phantom pain of a knife ripped clean through bone, tendon and muscle.

"MEREDY!"

Grabbing her crying friend, Ultear looked over to see Naruto casually pulling the knife from his hand, blood spraying freely everywhere. The part that really got her though was it was all healing incredibly rapidly. Several seconds was all it took for not a single mark to remain on the once injured limb. Looking back down as Meredy let out a choking sob, she watched the pink band fade on the girl's wrist and let out a sigh of relief as she relaxed. With Meredy now stable, Ultear turned to face Naruto and screamed at him, "What the hell are you doing? This is nothing like what you are! What is this evil _power_?"

Within Naruto's mind, the words cut through the red haze like the knife in his hands and he froze. What _had_ he been doing? Torturing a young girl? Playing mind games with two clearly weaker opponents? The part that scared Naruto the most though was that he hadn't even realised the slow contamination of his mind. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back the evil and sighed as he felt the darker thoughts fade away. He still wasn't as in control as he had momentarily believed.

He couldn't show any form of weakness to the women though because if they detected any hesitation they'd be all over it in a flash. So holding his gaze steady, Naruto shrugged unapologetically. "I warned you didn't I? This power is none of your current concern, though I do have a question for Meredy. If she answers I might let you know a little more."

Turning her gaze down to the young girl, Ultear watched as Meredy pulled herself to her feet. Her legs may have been shaking but now that the pain was just a memory she was able to confront the dangerous blond teen. Locking eyes with him, Meredy did a good job of not letting the oppressive atmosphere get to her. "What do you want?"

Finally getting somewhere, Naruto frowned as he wondered how to word the question. "You both work for a Dark Guild I assume, correct?"

Nodding once, the girl acknowledged the statement wordlessly. Having that confirmed, Naruto continued. "In that case, can you tell me if your Guild has been trying to summon anything?"

The brief flicker of Meredy's eyes to Ultear had Naruto narrowing his own. "Perhaps, perhaps not. I'm not privy to that knowledge as it only circulates amongst the higher mages of our Guild."

The intensity of those red eyes seemed to increase however and Meredy found herself wanting to buckle under the deadly gaze. "You're lying. First reason, a Guild like yours wouldn't just send a single, under powered lackey to help rescue someone like Ultear. Second reason… you have a tell. Ultear is that tell. You rely on her and I noticed your hesitation. Now tell me, **_what are you summoning?_**"

Meredy's eyes widened in fear as Naruto seemed to grow in size and power, the gravelly voice nearly doubling in volume as a spectral image of a massive fox hung over him. Snarling teeth and vicious, rage filled eyes glared down at her and before she knew it her mouth was open and screaming in terror.

A body tackled her to the ground and the horrific image that held her hostage abruptly dissipated. Nearly hyperventilating, Meredy's wide eyes looked around in shock for a moment before she realised Ultear was covering her face protectively. The woman seemed to be screaming at Naruto again though and she tried to focus on the words through the fog in her mind.

"… do to her? She just started screaming! And your voice! What is _wrong with you? _Are you a demon?"

An equally angry male voice replied though in answer to the demands. His voice thankfully had dropped that absolutely awful tone too. "You want to know? If your guild is responsible, then what she just experienced is just a fraction of the horrors that could be unleashed! This is YOUR FAULT!"

Pulling her head from beneath Ultear's bosom, Meredy looked up in shock as Naruto's accusation sunk in. Ultear seemed to falter for a moment too before collecting herself. "I - Impossible! We weren't summoning anything like you! We were only collecting the keys!"

Pouncing on the slip of information, Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What for?"

Realising her mistake, Ultear's breathing hitched. Deciding enough had already been exposed though, she growled and held Meredy closer. "To resurrect Zeref! I need him to come back to create utopia!"

Rolling his eyes, Naruto sighed despairingly. "Again with the dead guy! Why can't you just do this yourself? Stop looking for a damn crutch!"

Growling defiantly, Ultear countered with, "Can it be considered a crutch when it is the only way to succeed? Without Zeref, nothing will work!"

Eyes flashing, Naruto dashed forward faster than either mage could track and he suddenly had Ultear snatched up in his grip, his fingers curled tightly around the collar of her shirt. "There is always another way! If you'd just open your eyes, you'd realise a form of your utopia is right here! Look at you protecting Meredy! If there is one person in this world you'd die for, then your perfect world is possible with work!"

Throwing her back to the ground, the teen then stomped back several steps and took five deep breaths as he calmed himself. Ultear meanwhile stared up at him, partially in shock at how fast he'd attacked her and partially in disbelief at the fact his words made some form of sense.

Meredy though was fully focused on Ultear, her eyes daring to flicker in hope that her mentor really would throw her own life away for her. While she had always been there for her, the lady had always seemed distant. Now though, with the pressure laid on by that incomprehensible boy, a different side of her was apparently showing. This must have been the reason Ultear left him alive back then.

Finally having pushed back the rising rage again, Naruto opened his eyes calmly and looked down at the two frozen women. This wasn't what he had wanted exactly, but at least it looked like his point had gotten across. Frowning, he considered helping them up for a moment but then refrained. They didn't deserve that help. So crossing his arms, Naruto stared down at them evenly. "Think it over Ultear. You too Meredy. Now, come back with me. If you do, I'll speak up in your favour when your date with the council comes up."

Looking down at the girl still pulled to her chest, Ultear mulled over the words. She definitely didn't want to go back to prison so that wasn't an option. What Naruto didn't realise though was that she would be able to fix all this with Zeref's help. He wouldn't be angry at her, hell; he may even be something more to her than a friend if the lady allowed herself to dream. Meredy wouldn't be the emotionless drone she was and so many other things could be fixed.

Yet despite all this, she couldn't help but feel like Meredy's breath on her chest felt more and more real with Naruto's words. To have someone you cared for, could that really turn into a utopia? What if Naruto came…

No. This wasn't the future _or_ the past she wanted, no matter who was with her currently. Once everything was fixed, then she could relax. For now, achieving her goal was the foremost objective. Feeling a familiar presence nearing as she made her mind up, confidence began to build up in her chest again. This wasn't it, there was so much more to be completed before Naruto's words held true meaning.

Smirking, Ultear shook her head slowly. "You have a way with words my strange boy. You nearly convinced me that there was something else I could do. You'd be quite the council member if you ever got onto the board, you know that? Most of those useless old goats stumble over their opinions like an infant trips over their own shadow. For now though, I'll have to respectfully decline your offer to return. There's still far too much for me to do."

Despite Naruto's eyes beginning to glow again, Ultear's confidence held strong as a dark shadow crept across a mountain behind the boy. Being too focused on the mages before him, Naruto apparently missed the sensation that filled the area. "If you continue down this path, two things could happen. The first, you ruin your own life chasing a rainbow that doesn't exist. The second, you release this demon I speak of and the entire world dies. Is it really worth the risk?"

Nodding once, Ultear's eyes then burned with a determination that Naruto had only seen in her once before. "Most definitely. If I can achieve this, everything will be alright. I know it will."

"ULTEAR, MEREDY! Get on the ship, you have already babbled on enough while talking to this creature."

While Naruto spun around in surprise, the two mages before him rolled into a kneeling position before the tall man. Heads bowed in respect, they nodded once. "As you command, Master Hades."

Taking in the imposing sight, Naruto struggled to make heads or tails of the elderly man. Standing at close to Elfman's height, a very long and regal white beard trailed down the front of his body, the curls and waves making the hair bounce almost with a mind of its own. Sitting upon his head was an extremely odd helmet, the center part that covered his head a deep black with an equally black fin sticking up from it. Reddish metal then protruded from the frontal rim, framing his face protectively as the armour thinned down into twin points that sat just above his collar. Then sticking out from above his ears were two gun-metal gray horns protruding up proudly into the air. For what Naruto could see of his face though was fairly nondescript, the only real attention grabber being the single black eye patch that covered his right eye.

Below that was an absolutely massive cape that billowed out from his shoulders, the sizeable plates covering his upper arms and filling the mantle out in a way that made him look twice as board across his chest. That in turn was covered by a long sleeved red jumper that ran down his arms to meet the elbow length gauntlets.

The jumper was tucked into a thick gold belt that upheld a pair of long fitted pants, the beige colour covering most of the leg except for a deep maroon flame that rose up from the bottom of the leg. A simple set of boots protruded from beneath the pant legs, the deep red only a few shades darker than the bottom of his slacks.

Backing up slightly as the man glared at him, Naruto couldn't help the sinking feeling that began forming in his gut. Whoever this guy was seemed to be incredibly powerful if his senses were correct.

"What did I just say? Hurry up you two."

Hearing the mages behind him grunt in agreement, Naruto spun around to see them flicker briefly before completely disappearing from sight. Staring at the spot, Naruto rubbed his eyes and looked again. There hadn't been any movement, no sign of attack or escape, nothing. They had simply vanished.

"Hey boy, you seem surprised. What's the problem?"

Spinning back around to address the tall man, Naruto pointed back at the now vacant spot. "Them disappearing, that's what! How did you do that? Where did you take them?"

The old man simply pointed up. "They have gone back home. I was wondering what was taking them so long. I can understand now that I see you."

Frowning, Naruto looked straight up. To his surprise, a massive airship hung about a hundred feet above them in the air. Looking back down, the blond tried to ignore the imposing ship and focused instead on the man. "I was taking Ultear back to the council. She needs to make up for what she did."

Laughing gruffly, the tall mage raised his visible eyebrow. "Well now, aren't you just a poster boy for justice? I'm sorry though, she's far too valuable to me to simply let her return. I am surprised you want to take her back for that reason though… that energy billowing out from you gave me a completely different idea."

Something didn't seem right with his interest in the Kyuubi cloak and the blond instantly readied himself for attack. "How so?"

Laughing again, the man waved a hand at him. "Don't worry, I'll let you know if I'm going to attack. In any case, it's just so malicious and angry. You know, we could use a guy like you in your guild. What do you say, want to join Grimoire Heart?"

'So that's her guild.' Shaking his head in defiance, Naruto held out his palm. "Sorry, but I'm already with a legitimate guild. Besides, I wouldn't wanna join a dark guild like yours anyway."

The man seemed a bit shocked at first when he saw the stamp, but then he wrinkled his nose in annoyance. "That guild? What a shame. You could have been so much more with the right training."

Naruto blinked several times indignantly. How dare this old fart come out and claim something like that? Raising a threatening fist, Naruto let a bit more of the fox's chakra into his voice. **_"We haven't even fought you useless fossil! How would you know anything about me?"_**

"Oh, that's scary!" Completely unaffected by the wave of foul energy that washed over him, the man looked Naruto over appraisingly. "You might have a bit more to you than I first estimated. My apologies."

Snarling, Naruto didn't reply and instead lashed out, a vine of bubbling red chakra in the shape of a giant claw directed straight at the guild master. Nodding approvingly, he simply held out a hand and deflected the attack with a swipe of purple magic. There was a loud crack at the point of impact and the claw dissipated. The tall mage was left with not a scratch on him but was shaking out his numb hand. "Wow, that had some kick to it. It's been a while since I've felt something like that. What is your name boy?"

Having released a bit of his anger, Naruto was able to think more clearly and pushed the chakra back. To his everlasting relief, it finally sunk back behind the seal and the blond sighed as the dark impulses subsided from within his mind. Ignoring the curious stare on him, Naruto took several breaths and calmed himself back down to what was normal.

Once done, Naruto looked him evenly in the eye and issued him a silent challenge. "Uzumaki Naruto. My turn now. Will you stop trying to resurrect Zeref?"

Grumbling to himself, the mage placed a hand to his forehead. "Damn those girls. I didn't expect Ultear to say so much. No, we won't stop. Why do you ask?"

Frowning, Naruto wondered just how much the master had heard. Tipping toward caution, Naruto proceeded. "If you do, you may just summon something completely out of your league in terms of power. Then, I can guarantee not you or even your precious Zeref could stop this disaster."

Listening to his words, cogs ticked over within Hades mind. Eventually smiling, he pointed at the smaller male. "That thing in you would be released huh? I had no idea I was forcefully pulling it from you."

As every word slipped from the old man's mouth, Naruto's eyes grew bigger and bigger. How the devil did this guy know anything about the Kyuubi? Trying to steady his trembling breath, Naruto swallowed and asked, "How did you know about that?"

Throwing his head back, Hades laughed loudly. "I didn't, but you just confirmed it! And so easily too. You really need to learn to keep your cards closer to your chest. You really are so protective of it, whatever it is! I knew something was off about you when I felt that power. Fairy Tail wouldn't accept someone like you if that was the feeling you always gave off. Your little explanation on the 'disaster' blatantly hinted towards your knowledge of it. You are terrified of that power, aren't you?"

Cursing himself violently for allowing the wily old mage to so easily work out his secret, Naruto grit his teeth and lashed out a hand. "And with good reason! You have no idea just what this thing in me could do! This world might never recover if it breaks free!"

"Hmmm…" Stroking his beard thoughtfully, the Master looked Naruto over before shaking his head. "Nope, I'm sorry but we're gonna keep on collecting those keys Ultear spoke of. What is happening here with you is far too interesting to not follow on with."

"NO!"

Dashing forward in a burst of incredible speed, Naruto launched a fist at the old mages head. Just before it connected though, the man managed to pull his head to the side enough that Naruto's fist sailed by harmlessly. Not done yet though, the blond began spinning and brought his other hand through in a backwards swing. A gloved hand snatched up just in time to catch the incoming attack and with a small shockwave blocked the powerful arm. Fingers then clamped down tight on the arm and Hades grinned. "You are full of surprises! Such speed, and strength!"

Growling, Naruto forced his chakra into a swirling mass around his fists and pumped as much wind into the mix as possible. The resulting whirlwind began shredding the metal glove rapidly and it quickly released its hold. Lashing out with a solid kick, Hades wasn't surprised when Naruto blocked it but it gave him enough time to jump back from the deadly teen.

Ignoring the blood beginning to drip through the slices in the armour, the old man frowned. "You shouldn't try to fight me as you are now. You'll just lose."

Clenching his fists, Naruto glared at the man. "We won't know till I try."

"No… no we won't…" Thinking it over for a moment, Hades then nodded. "Fine, I like your spirit boy. If you really are that desperate to stop us, try follow us, but only if you can defeat my man. If not, well you'll be good food for the worms. ZANCROW!"

An insane laughter instantly filled the air and Naruto looked up to see what appeared to be a human sized ball of golden hair falling towards them. As it got closer though, he realised it wasn't all just hair, but in fact a strange male. Landing beside his Master with a resounding crunch, the newcomer kneeled as he spoke. "What was it you needed, Master Hades? Did you want me to kill this boy?"

Not looking down at him, the old mage began to flicker. "Not outright. More test his worth to chase us. If he does die in the process though, I suppose that's just an unfortunate circumstance of battle."

Grinning widely, another insane giggle slipped from the boy's mouth. "You got it Master! I'll make it one hell of a test for him!"

"Good." Hades then addressed Naruto as he faded. "I wish you luck. I think you'll need it."

Gritting his teeth in anger as the old man vanished from view, Naruto glared up at the ship as it began to turn slowly and move away. "I don't need your luck. Watch your back fossil, I'll be coming for Ultear."

"Oi, what you muttering about over there, blondie?"

Turning his gaze back down to the eccentric teen, Naruto had a look at this Zancrow person.

Long, spiked blond hair ran down to the middle of his back and Naruto couldn't help but think that's what his own hair would look like if he let it grow. His bare chest had a large emblem imprinted onto the right pectoral in the form of a half moon overlapping an extremely stylised 'x'. His left shoulder was covered by a black guard and a royal blue sash hung down from that to attach to his waist. Below that then was a very odd, blue and yellow skirt armour that came down to his shins. It was the first time Naruto had ever really seen a male wear one of those but the fact he did wear it only increased how psycho he looked.

The bit that Naruto found most strange though was his blood red pupils. They actually reminded him greatly of Pein's eyes as they had several rings surrounding one another in an outward ripple pattern. If his constant run in with people with weird eyes had anything to say about it, it would say this mage was gonna be a handful.

Putting the escaping ship out of his mind for the moment, Naruto zoned in on his opponent. "Nothing much, just thinking about how long it'll take me to catch up to that flying blimp of yours once I'm done with you."

That seemed to irritate the mage though and his grin promptly flipped upside down. "You takin' me lightly, weakling?"

Realising this, Naruto grinned internally. An angry opponent was a predictable opponent. Time to rile him up. "No, I wasn't thinking about taking you at all actually. How about you just roll over and play dead? That'll save us both time, effort and in your case pain that we really don't need to waste."

Black flames suddenly exploded from the mages hands and his eyes flashed furiously as his teeth grinded over each other. "Mind your mouth Fairy Tail maggot otherwise I might just melt it shut."

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly at the threat and placed his hands on his hips. This was too easy. "It does sound scary, but if you can't touch me then it doesn't matter. Besides, I gotta save my energy for when I kick your Masters ass from one side of Fiore to the other. Mind making this quick?"

Calling Zancrow weak was one thing, but disregarding the name of his Master was totally unforgivable. Howling in rage, the now blinded teen exploded towards Naruto in a rocket of black heat.

'Got you.'

Swinging through, Zancrow let out a cry as he smashed Naruto square in the face. Blood spewed everywhere as his face literally caved in under the force of the punch and Zancrow let out a high pitched laugh. "So much big talk only to get killed on the first hit! What a pussy!"

"Learn to aim, candle stick."

For some reason then, all the blood, bone and skin fragments dissolved into what looked like chunks of wood and a decimated stump was blown away in place on Naruto. Unable to comprehend the change, it left him wide open to a boring blue orb that drilled straight into the middle of his back.

"**Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)!**"

Crying out in pain and surprise, Zancrow was blasted straight into the ground at point blank range. Fissures shot out from where he hit, the earth giving way beneath the solid body. Dust and rocks were kicked up into the air as the wind swirled around them.

Landing lightly a few feet away, Naruto looked at his handiwork. The guy was so easy to taunt it was almost no fun. That Hades wouldn't just call down any old foot soldier to verse him though, so Naruto highly doubted the attack did anything more than wind the strange mage. Hearing a few rocks shift from within the shallow hole, Naruto waved his hand and sent a measure of wind chakra through the air to clear visibility.

As predicted, Zancrow was pulling himself up through the dirt fairly easily. There was a bright red, bleeding gash hollowed out into his back but the mage was somehow ignoring it like it didn't exist. Shaking himself off, red eyes locked with blue and he grinned again. "Well strap me naked to a bladed chair! You aren't half bad, for a maggot at least. Guess I'll have to take this half seriously after all. You're lucky you know? It's not every day someone gets to see the true potential of a God Slayer!"

"God Slayer?" Naruto frowned in confusion. "You mean a Dragon Slayer."

Letting out a bark of laughter, the mage shook his head. "Bah, you could only wish I was a lowly Dragon Slayer! God Slayer magic is a world beyond that pathetic blip."

Raising his arms with his palms out, black flames burst into life. "Enjoy your first taste of it! **Explosive Flame!**"

Thrusting his hand out, the ball of fire shot towards Naruto, expanding all the while. Laughing excitedly, Zancrow thrust with his other hand and sent another ball straight after the first. Frowning as the dangerous attack neared him, Naruto flickered from sight as he used **Shunshin (Body Flicker) **to escape. Reappearing out of harm's way, he had to quickly use to again as several more balls of fire hurtled towards him.

Thus began a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Naruto flickering across the area while Zancrow hooted loudly and tried his best to incinerate the ninja. Finally seeing Naruto pause for breath, the mage smirked and sent several smaller and faster balls at his opponent. Making contact, he heard a scream from within the burning mass and he cackled loudly. "Got you! **Flame God's Cloud!**"

Swiping at the air, a wide stream of flames shot out and filled the whole area before the mage, igniting everything it touched and covering the earth with an unnatural blackish light. "How do you like it? Doesn't it just burn so much more painfully than regular fire? Embrace it!"

A powerful hand suddenly clamped down on the back of his head though and Naruto's clam voice whispered into the suddenly stunned mage's ear. "From what that clone told me, it's not all that spectacular. I've felt worse. Now, DOWN."

Planting his feet solidly beside Zancrow's, Naruto pushed downwards and smashed his face straight into a solid rock. This time he knew he did some damage because the ninja felt something give way in his face before the force destroyed the rock. Not finished yet though, he pulled his head free before unleashing a gut wrenching uppercut straight into his stomach. Spit, blood and a little bit of bile spewed from Zancrow's mouth as the force of the punch wrecked havoc on his insides. Gasping softly, the mage flinched a moment before falling limp over the hand in his abdomen. Holding him out, Naruto raised an eyebrow as his rasping breath reached his ears.

"So this is a God Slayer? Natsu put up more of a fight than you did."

Dropping the mage, Naruto ignored the burning woodlands around him to look up at the sky. Shielding his vision from the dancing light around him, he tried to spy the airship. Apparently it was a bit faster than he first thought as the sky was now suspiciously empty. Growling softly to himself, Naruto tried to start walking when his foot snagged on something. Looking down, he realised Zancrow was still awake and had latched onto his pant leg.

His broken face was still grinning up at him and Naruto suppressed a wince when he saw the angle his nose was facing. "You think I'll just lie down quietly for you? Wrong move blondie."

And in an instant, vicious black flames exploded to life all over Naruto's body. Flesh quickly began peeling off in strips under the black heat and as he screamed in agony, Naruto reactively called to every ounce of wind chakra within his oceanic reserves.

The virtual hurricane of wind tore through the flames as if they were a match head, dispelling them and all the flames around the fighters. It didn't stop there though as the force of the gale stripped the earth clean of rocks, trees and life as it blew them all away. Zancrow held onto the pants leg desperately, but the weakened fabric tore easily and the mage was sent flying as the wind picked him up and dashed him away.

Not noticing the teen's untimely departure, Naruto gasped in pain and dropped to his knees as his burnt and charred body began repairing itself. That clone must have been dispelled early because the intensity of that fire was just horrific. Holding his quivering hands up before his eyes, Naruto watched as the red raw flesh fell away in thin strips as new skin grew up from beneath it. Thanking his lucky stars for this spectacular healing ability, Naruto dropped to his backside and began catching his breath. Never again did he want to endure that.

Wiping his brow, the blond finally looked down and couldn't help but sweat drop when he noticed the barren land around him. 'Did I really do all that?'

It explained the sudden tiredness he experienced and the teen wouldn't put it past himself to do something like that. Sighing, he rubbed his recently regenerated hair and pulled himself to his feet. Looking down at himself, Naruto scowled as he watched the remains of his favourite jacket fell from his shoulders in ashy tatters. "Damn it! Now what am I gonna do for… oh wait."

It was then he realised he had left his scroll back at the hospital but had forgotten to grab it on the way out. Good thing too otherwise he'd have nothing left to wear. Kneeling down he sifted through the fabric's remains and pulled out his Saints badge. Thankfully his headband was mostly untouched as the standard issue came with an everything resistant fabric. Granted it was looking a bit smoky, but it held up well enough within the unearthly fires it had been subjected to.

Looking back to the sky, Naruto clicked his tongue in irritation at the delay. He wasn't about to go and hunt down Grimoire Heart half naked either, so the first plan of attack was to go get changed and then sift through what information he had on Hades. He just hopes those knights still didn't realise he was the red demon.

XxXxXxX

Landing just outside the hospital, the sounds of hurried work and urgent shouts reached Naruto's ears. Swallowing his nerves, the blond made sure the fabric around his hips were suitably covering everything before walking from the trees.

It took a moment before anyone noticed him, but when a guard did, he rushed over and dropped to a knee before him. "Wizard Saint Uzumaki! We had been searching for you when we realised the records listed you as a guest here! Where have you been?"

Not at all used to this kind of respect, Naruto reached out and pulled the man to his feet. "Oi, enough of that, it makes me feel weird. As for me… uh, shouldn't I tell your superior?"

Unsure of how to speak to the teen now that he didn't want to be formally addressed, the guard hesitantly nodded. "Uh, yes I believe that would be a good idea. I was going to take you anyway; I just wanted to make sure you were alright first."

Giving the man a smile, Naruto nodded. "Well thanks! I'm fine. I'll just grab some clothes first before that. Don't really wanna strut about naked all day."

Now realising his state of undress, the guard nodded. "Of course. If you would come with me I shall fetch you some clothing."

Shaking his head, Naruto waved him away. "It's all good, I brought some. I'll meet you at the main tent?"

The guard bowed slightly in acceptance. "Very well. I shall see you there soon."

Watching him turn crisply and walk away, Naruto couldn't help but crack a smile. It was little things like this that could help brighten an otherwise crappy day.

Turning his eyes over to the destroyed hospital, Naruto wrinkled his nose at the mess. It looked like the administration building was mostly untouched, but the main side wall was all but ruined. It was a good thing he couldn't be pinned with this things destruction.

Walking over, the blond tentatively stepped across the loose debris. Making it into the dusty hallway, Naruto wandered down to the admin section. Hopefully they had placed his scroll in the storage section, otherwise he had a lot of digging ahead of him.

The main desk had a thumping great slab of wall resting over it and a number of Rune Knights were spotted around it, trying to work out how best to move the heavy object. Walking through them, Naruto ignored their stares and pointed at it. "I'll move that if I can sift through what's under it first. I left something here."

Stepping forward, the leader nodded. "Of course. Try to be careful though, there could be valuable information under it."

Realising this was the guard who had first confronted him while he was shrouded in the Kyuubi cloak, Naruto silently thanked him for not recognising him. "Yeah, I got this. Step back."

Obeying, the guards gave him space as Naruto gripped the wall fragment. Heaving, the blond grunted in effort as the massive piece of plaster and timber was lifted into the air. Turning to the side, Naruto let it go and it smashed into the ground with considerable force. "Whew."

Wiping his brow, Naruto turned and paused at all the shocked gazes he was receiving. "What?"

Swallowing, the lead guard spoke for the group. "Uh, we were expecting you to move it with magic, not just physical strength."

"Oh." Grinning, Naruto shrugged. "I can't use magic like that. Anyway, let me get searching."

Looking over the crushed desk, Naruto sweat dropped as the first thing he saw was the lazy attendant Diest snoozing comfortably in the small cave. Grabbing him, the teen tossed him out with a snort into the surprised arms of the guards. Taking up the man's seat, Naruto looked under the desk. "Ok, where are you… no… no… no… what the hell is that? No… no… yes!"

Snatching up his scroll gleefully, Naruto held it up high above his head. "Found it!"

Jumping from the desk, he nodded to the guard. "Ok, I'm done. I'll leave you to it!"

Ignoring their reply, Naruto broke into a run and disappeared into a private room. Locking the door, Naruto dropped the scroll on the single bed inside and unsealed his clothing. He had another jacket available, but if his first one was so easily ruined he didn't want to risk the second one. So grabbing a plain black shirt with the Uzumaki symbol embroided into the back, he slipped it on with pride. Those mages were pretty useful when it came to simple tasks like this.

Thanking Lucy mentally for taking him to that sewing shop after their hectic shopping spree, he grabbed a set of long, deep red pants and pulled them up. Tying off the far too long strap around his waist, he let the ends hang as he grabbed a simple set of black sneakers. Nothing too expensive since it'd probably just get ruined again.

Sealing everything else, Naruto finally pinned his badge to his chest and strapped his Konoha headband around its deserved position. Noticing a mirror, the blond gave himself a wink and a grin. Not a bad looking outfit after all.

Slipping the scroll into one of the many pockets that lined his leg, Naruto opened the door and then ran to the main tent. Skidding to a stop, he found the first guard that had met him waiting patiently for him. Nodding at his arrival, he opened the tent flap and led the blond in. "Amike Durand, reporting with Temporary Wizard Saint Uzumaki Naruto. I have brought him in to speak with the officer in charge as he undoubtedly has information regarding the situation."

Absently listening as the guard said all the right things to get them through, Naruto looked around. It was a plain white tent with nothing interesting on any of the walls. Thankfully they were let through quickly and Naruto was pointed at a seat before a rather official looking character. Badges and other forms of acknowledgement hung from both shoulders and his helmet sat proudly beside him on the desk. Not having to do anything, the recently identified Amike spoke up for him. "Sir, I have brought in Uzumaki Naruto. He has information relevant to the situation."

Nodding, the head guard waved him out. "Very well, I'll speak with him. You may leave."

"Sir." Bowing slightly, the guard then left. Turning his attention back to Naruto, the head guard steeped his fingers before him. "So, Uzumaki Naruto hey? Where have you been hiding this whole time?"

'Straight into the questions aye?' Guessing he was gonna have to deal with this for a bit, Naruto resigned himself to the interrogation. "Well, you know I came to visit Ultear. I was with her and while in that prison cell we were attacked."

"Explain."

Rolling his eyes, Naruto sighed. "I was getting to that. The blue barrier cut off and I thought it was because they were letting Ultear out for some exercise. Instead, this girl Meredy attacked us and broke her out. I tried to stop them but they knocked me out with this weird link magic thing."

Frowning as he spoke, the head guard thought it all over. "So where have you been? We couldn't find a trace of you even after a thorough search. Do you also have any information in regards to a bubbling red individual that was spotted around here shortly after the jail break?"

If this man had even half the intuition Hades did he'd be something to watch out for. So playing his cards close to his chest as the old Guild Master cautioned, Naruto shook his head. "I did feel something but I had already recovered and was currently chasing after Ultear and Meredy."

The look in the guards eye wasn't a convinced one, but he let it go easily enough. "Fine. So what happened then? I take it you don't just strip and walk into areas like this for kicks."

So the old bloke had a form of humour did he? Leaning back, Naruto shrugged. "You never know, I don't tell everyone about my private life." The guard smirked slightly and Naruto grinned back. "But seriously, what happened was I ended up in a fight with Hades and this guy called Zancrow from Grimoire Heart. They came to pick up Ultear and Meredy and I just happened to be trying to stop them."

Eyes widening, the old guard instantly dropped any form of joking and crossed his arms on the desk. "So they had a part to play in this did they? I suppose that question is obvious considering who they sent. Did you learn anything else about them that we should know about?"

Nodding slowly, Naruto grunted. "Yeah, they said they're trying to collect some keys to resurrect that Zeref guy."

Eyes widening further, the old guard leant in close. "Did they describe their appearance like that to you?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, all I know is 'keys' and 'Zeref'."

Sighing, the man leant back and began massaging his temples gently. "Of all the things in this world to deal with now." Looking back up, the guard pointed to Naruto. "So what will you be doing now?"

The teen shrugged. "I'll be chasing after them. I already told Ultear I'll be bringing her back to face the council and I won't stop until she says sorry."

Nodding, the guard leant back and hummed approvingly. "Very well, I won't hold you up much longer then. Though before you go, would you be able to tell me why you were so naked exactly?"

Growling, Naruto pointed back at the forest. "It's that guy Zancrow's fault! He burnt them all off with his stupid God Slayer magic."

"God Slayer…" Grabbing a pen and a fresh piece of paper, the head guard nodded. "Thank you very much for all your information. You can go now while I follow up on the information you have left us."

Pushing his chair out, Naruto stood up. "Sure thing old man."

"Oh and Uzumaki." Pausing, the teen looked back to the guard. "Try stay safe."

Grinning, Naruto placed his hands on his hips. "I'll be fine! Don't you worry about that."

Nodding, the guard grunted and dropped his head down to begin writing his report.

XxXxXxX

Standing outside the camp, Naruto sighed as he looked to the sky. Best head back to where he fought Zancrow and look for any clues as to where that ship was flying. 'If there were any left he', reminded himself. Still, he had a general bearing on their direction of travel so that was a good place to start. Raising into the air, Naruto ignored the mages and Rune Knights beneath him as they called out to him and laying flat, shot off towards the clearly bare patch of land in the distance.

It didn't take anywhere near as long to reach the destination now that he knew where he was going and within a few minutes, he alighted on the ground and looked around. Everything had pretty well been scoured clean from his last reflex attack so there wasn't much to go by.

Looking to the air, Naruto frowned as he judged the angle they were apparently taking. It seemed to be moving north again unless it had veered off course after he lost sight of it. Scratching his head, Naruto guessed the way to go was try search out Ultear's energy signature and go from there. So sitting himself down comfortably, the blond began drawing in natural energy from around him.

"SURPRISE, MAGGOT!"

Eyes flashing open just in time, Naruto barely managed to roll out of the way of a black fireball that impacted with his prior seating position with a mighty boom. Any natural energy he may have gathered instantly dispersed as he glared at the tenacious mage that had staggered onto the battle field. The bleeding he had had all but stopped, but crusty brown trails of the hardened fluid still caked his face. "Once I'm done with you I'll have me a nice shower to wash your blood off with!"

Growling, Naruto held out a hand. "And here I thought you were done. Whatever, lets finish this."

Eyes flashing in insane glee, the mage reared an arm back. "I couldn't agree more! **Flame God's Cloud!**"

A bright blue ball of tightly spinning chakra exploded into life within Naruto's hand and the ninja frowned. That wide area attack was a dangerous one. Crouching, the blond jumped into the air with a burst of wind chakra and sailed high over the flames. Falling forward, Naruto pumped more energy into his feet and began shooting down towards the apparently ignorant mage. Rapidly picking up pace, Naruto steeled his face as he bored down on him.

All of a sudden, Zancrow looked up and screamed in laughter. "HA! I totally predicted it! Dodge this maggot! **Flame God's Breath!**"

A veritable wall of churning black flames shot into the sky, right into Naruto. Unable to dodge, the teen grit his teeth and amped up the power in the **Rasengan.** Colliding with the flames a split second later, the only sound audible over the deafening boom was Zancrow's high pitched laughter filling the air. "I got you! I totally got you! Dodge that you slippery little bastard! Ha HA!"

An orange streak suddenly caught the mage's eye though as it streaked into the flames at an absolutely blistering pace. Shrugging disinterestedly, Zancrow turned his gaze back to his beautiful flames and grinned widely. "That's it, burn him, burn him to ashes! You'll never… what?"

Blinking, Zancrow's smile slowly faded as he noticed his flames begin to shrink. Frowning as they actually started disappearing, he took a step back in shock. "What the hell is happening?"

The black fires continued to disappear until all that was left were two blond teens floating in the sky, the one in the orange jacket supporting the one in the black shirt. The bit that stunned Zancrow however was what was floating in their hands. "I… Impossible! That is just impossible!"

An absolutely blistering ball of his fire was crammed into a space the size of a small balloon. The center of it was nearly transparent while it then increased in intensity until it was a blackest of the black around the borders of it. How a three dimensional object managed that he had no idea, but whatever it was sounded absolutely deadly. The raging explosions and booms coming from it almost made it seem like the teen was holding a miniature sun within his hands.

Naruto meanwhile was studying the ball in his hands. Despite it being excruciatingly hot, no damage was actually being done to his person. "Well isn't this just something…"

Looking down at the clearly shaking mage, Naruto smirked and called out. "Nice try! How about I see how well you hold up to your own flames?"

Eyes shooting open in fear, Zancrow stepped back. "No! Don't you dare bring that fire eating thing near me! You hear?"

Crouching, Naruto burst down towards him. "I didn't say you had any voice in the matter!"

Sweating bullets, Zancrow spun around and scrabbled desperately in an effort to escape the impending attack. Naruto was much, _much_ faster however and before he made it ten steps, his voice reached the mages ears from barely a foot behind him. "Eat this. **Flame God's RASENGAN!**"

Pushing the ball deep into the teens back, Naruto let go and instantly reversed his direction. Escaping just in time, Naruto shielded his eyes as the ball expanded to the size of the Fairy Tail guild, all the while maintaining its tightly packed form. Zancrow screamed incessantly from within the writhing mass of fire and chakra as his body was shredded and burnt up all at once. Finally pausing in size, the ball fluctuated once before compressing back down half a size and then exploded with an almighty BOOM.

Naruto and his clone were thrown backwards across the landscape as the fires raged with their fury for a split second. Then as suddenly as it appeared, they burnt themselves out and disappeared into nothingness. Hitting the ground and rolling several times, Naruto kicked his toes into the ground and skidded over several hundred feet to a stop. Breathing deeply, he looked up daringly and saw the charred form of Zancrow falling from the sky. A smoke trail followed him and Naruto let out a breath. That mage was ridiculously durable to even have a body after that.

Sitting down, Naruto then turned to face his clone. They looked at each other for a moment before they began to laugh. The adrenalin running through them continued to fuel their laughter for a few more minutes until they finally calmed down enough to talk. Panting, the clone raised one shaky arm and wiped its brow. "Holy _crap!_ That was intense, dattebayo!"

Nodding, Naruto let out another breath and dropped to his back. "You can say that again! Who would have guessed the **Rasengan** was able to absorb that as well?"

Laughing, the clone nodded. "I know right? I mean, that ball and how it looked and the heat and everything and just WOW!"

Laughing alongside his mirror image, Naruto let out a sigh. "Yeah… so crazy." Sitting up, he then held his hand out. "So I assume you got the scroll?"

Sticking its tongue out, the clone scratched its head sheepishly. "Well, I kinda threw it into the bushes when I saw you disappear into those flames. I didn't want it getting burnt if we did, ya know?"

Naruto bobbed his head about approvingly. "Yeah, I would have done the same thing too."

Rolling its eyes, the clone grinned. "No dur, I'm you."

Chuckling, Naruto shook his head and crossed his fingers. "Shut up. Anyway, let's start looking."

**"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

XxXxXxX

_A/N – and DAMN that is that. _

_That last fight scene totally wrote itself and I am loving the way it came out. You are all super lucky you're getting this too because I fly out of state in exactly 3 hours for a week. If I'd had writers block, you wouldn't be seeing anything until like the 30__th__! With that in mind, I have proofed it, but there may be one or two things I missed, in which case I WILL be coming back once done with my competition to edit everything and make it right._

_I also just wanna say that with this chapter I will actually reach the 3000 review mark. I cannot even begin to thank you all enough for helping me get this far. Never had I imagined that my story would hit such a milestone. You may all say it's because I write such a good story, but I say it's because I have such amazing readers that take the time out to leave me a message._

_So seriously, thank you all so much for sticking with this story for as long as you have! It honestly means so much to me =D I write for you guys!_

_Anyway, until next time my faithful followers,_

_Lanky Nathan._


	31. Chapter 31

Several dozen clones jogged casually towards the remaining intact bushes that rimmed the barren fighting grounds. Diving into the greenery, the troop of blonds began rooting about as they searched for the scroll he had thrown in for safekeeping.

Watching as his replicas got hunting, Naruto turned back over to see a fading black smoke pillar at the other end of the grounds. Pulling himself to his feet, the teen began jogging towards the signal. After that massive explosion, the blond felt the need to check and see what remained of the unlucky mage.

Covering the distance in only a few minutes, Naruto wrinkled his nose and slowed to a walk. Even if the smoke trail wasn't there it wouldn't have been hard to find Zancrow's remains. The stink of burnt hair and flesh putrefied the air and it was enough to make even a ninja like Naruto cringe.

Stepping past a few rocks and ruined trees, Naruto placed a hand on the trunk of one such plant and looked around it. Lying behind the tree was his opponent. Burnt black sections of skin patch worked his body, his near bald head flaking ash and dust as a soft wind blew past him. Narrowing his eyes in confusion though, the teen knelt down beside the mage and reached out to finger the remains of the dress Zancrow wore.

The shear intensity of that fire blast had been enough to melt patches of the sand around them into a form of glass. On that observation alone, Naruto would have expected every thread on his body to have been burnt away into nothingness. The fabric itself didn't feel all that special, but perhaps there had been runes written into them to make them more flame resistant. A mage that excelled in fire magic was wearing them after all.

Assuming that was the case, it would also account for the reason he wasn't completely burnt away to ash. Shaking his head, the blond sighed and sat back on his haunches while staring down at the apparent corpse. His eyes were open and red, the pupils long gone however as they had rolled right back into his head. His open mouth didn't really help the image; the wide orifice stuck open in a silent, agonizing scream.

The image itself was too horrific to be left alone, so reaching out Naruto dragged his fingers over the mages eyes and forcefully closed his mouth. From there, he tried to find a pulse but Zancrow's neck, chest and wrists were all too well cooked to allow him to find anything. So leaning forward, the blond rested his cheek just above the mages nose and closed his eyes.

Feeling nothing coming from the nostrils, Naruto sat back again and rubbed the back of his neck. By all means the mage was dead, so now it was just a matter of what to do with him. He could bury him here and let things end here, but if the magic council was anything like the villages back home, they probably had a bounty on this guy's head.

Naruto didn't really need the money, but proof he was gone for would probably be appreciated and like any good medic nin, the mages here could probably learn a lot about his magic through his corpse.

Lifting himself up, Naruto generated yet another clone. It gave Naruto a look of disgust before reaching out and lifting the charred male up onto its shoulders. Shifting his weight, the clone looked back at Naruto and stuck its tongue out. "You are so lucky you don't have to do this. He's all scratchy and yuck."

Nodding absently, Naruto gave him a shooing motion. "Yeah, yeah, I'll remember it all once you dispel. Now get moving."

Grunting, the clone hefted Zancrow up again before taking a running start up and jumping into the air. Watching the fading orange dot for a moment, Naruto sighed before a sudden influx of memories washed into his mind. It seems like they had found the scroll.

That news brought a smile to the teens face so with a click of his heels, he ran back over.

Crouching as he slid in beside a clone, Naruto sat down just as he came to a complete stop. Seeing the scroll, he reached out greedily and snatched it away with an excited, "Gimmie!"

Unrolling it, he ignored the slap to the back of his head from the clone as it disappeared. Eyes danced in glee as Tsunade's handwriting was unveiled, so shuffling over to a rock, he leant up against it and began reading.

_"So good to hear from you, Naruto! And so quickly too, I was expecting it to take you far longer to find the scroll._

_I'll start off with letting you know I had Kakashi send you a separate scroll with all the tools you requested in it. There was quite a bit so that's why we had to strap them together. With that out of the way, let's talk about the _really _important things!"_

Sighing blissfully, Naruto momentarily let his head drop back as he held the scroll to his chest. Even if it was just a letter, the blond couldn't be happier to hear his foster grandmother speak.

_"So this place is called Earthland? What a remarkable world you have described! Magic of all things? Who would have guessed! I'd love to get my hands onto one of those 'mages' and see what makes them tick. I wonder if they have a system like the chakra system… that magic pouch or whatever it is they have though sounds extremely intriguing…"_

Naruto chuckled as his eyes flitted across the paper. Trust Tsunade to get sidetracked on their anatomy.

_"Whoops, don't mind me. I'm just so curious as to their abilities. It's like they can do everything we can and more! _

_So, they actually speak another language there? The sample you sent me is just amazing. I have never read anything like it in all my travels. Even with you sending the translated equivalent, it's going to take me a long time to figure it out. In saying that though, once you come back you could possibly teach everyone the language. The promise such a thing as speaking a whole other language on the battlefield holds is just too good an opportunity to pass up. To even have a scroll that can be delivered in this foreign script could potentially save hundreds of village secrets from being leaked."_

Blinking in surprise, Naruto read that last part again. That hadn't even crossed his mind, but now that he thought about it, it made a great deal of sense. Frowning slightly, the blond nodded to himself. This was what he needed to start thinking about for when he became Hokage. What can be used for the betterment of his village? How can something like this help? He still had a lot to learn about the more subtle decisions the Hokage has to make, but with that in mind Naruto felt he had just realised a key part of being leader of a hidden village. Mentally writing himself a note to always remember this, he moved onto the next part.

_"But enough of that, time to talk friends! You have no idea how pleased I am to hear you have gained some allies. They sound like just your type, crazy, noisy, over the top and ridiculously loyal. This Natsu fellow sounds like he could almost be a long lost brother assuming he wasn't from that dimension._

_I'm also pleased to hear you have someone watching over you. While I'm not too sure how I feel about you having joined their guild, I'll leave that judgement up to you since I know basically nothing about the happenings over there. Still, to hear this Makarov has taken you under his wing is reassuring in ways you cannot imagine. I just wish it was possible to meet him at some stage! _

_Now, as for this' Wizard of the Ten Saints' thing, how on earth do you manage to get yourself into these situations? For crying out loud boy, I told you to take a holiday, not fight the most powerful people in their dimension! That being said though, I am so proud of you. Well done on getting recognised the way you have always dreamed. It may not be exactly what you are after, but that is just as important there as you are here."_

A soft smile graced the teen's face for a moment as Tsunade's praise washed over him. It was good to know that his foster grandmother was pleased with him.

_"Now, probably the most surprising part I think I heard of it all though was these girls you spoke of! They sound like fabulous women and I'm pleasantly surprised at how close you have gotten with them. Could it be you have a bit of crush on one or two of them, huh, huh? Come on, you can tell your Tsunade-baachan."_

Naruto rolled his eyes at the prodding. He didn't really know what he felt about the girls exactly, outside of extreme friendship. If any of them were to be what he'd call a crush it'd be Mira-chan, but for some reason it felt a bit like the last few days she had backed off slightly, for lack of a better term. It was probably nothing though, the girl was forever busy so one day of abnormality was nothing to think over. So throwing the thought into the empty part of his mind, he continued.

_"Such exciting news, my little Naruto all growing up! Once we figure out how to get you home, we'll have to see if we can bring them over here so I can meet them. I can't have just any two bit female courting my boy."_

Nodding absently, the blond really hoped he would be able to find a way to tie his world to this one. He wanted all his friends from both dimensions to meet, even if they can't speak the same language.

_"In saying that, the toads have discovered quite a bit of interesting information since I contacted you last. Apparently our dimensions aren't interlinked at all. I'll try simplify this for you."_

Eyes thinning, Naruto sighed. Even now they thought he needed to have things dumbed down. While that may be the case here, it didn't mean he wasn't getting better, damn it.

_"For an example, I'll use the parallel dimension that Mystogan fellow told you about. Edolas or whatever it's called. So, he said they run side by side meaning they have twins living in each dimension. The difference between ours and theirs is that our two dimensions are nowhere near that close together. While they run side by side, ours grow father away and closer together depending on what time exactly it is."_

Sweating a bit, Naruto re-read that last part again. This was getting deep.

_"If I know you you're still having trouble getting this, so try imagining this. You have two rivers that run side by side. They both turn left and right at the same time, never growing closer or further away from each other. That would be what Edolas is to Earthland. Now, imagine two rivers that flow near one another, but they aren't connected like the first two. The first river can flow far away, nearby or even loop backwards on itself momentarily. That would be our world, the Elemental Nations. Earthland can do the same, so sometimes they can be far, far apart or other times they can be extremely close together. The other problem this is something like this. I hope I can explain it correctly because even I have trouble understanding it."_

Eyes widening slightly as the information continued to sink in, Naruto nibbled his lip. In a moment of genius though, he suddenly created twenty clones to all read the same thing. That should help fix that problem.

_"Pretend that the water flowing through the rivers is the pace of time. Now, if there is a very big loop in one of the timelines, say the Elemental Nations, while the other flows in a straight line, Earthland, this will mean that time in the Elemental Nations will take a lot longer to pass the same amount of lineal distance as it takes the time in Earthland. So in theory that means what only feels like a day or two in your realm could take days, weeks or even months to pass by in the Elemental Nations."_

Several of the clones groaned painfully as they struggled through the mentally exhausting exercise.

_"Currently, by the toads reckoning, we are far apart. That is why it is so difficult to summon across the gap. However, despite the distance, the flow of time seems relatively normal. This is a good thing as it means we aren't apparently going to age several years in only a few days to you, or the other way around even. I don't know how I'd handle seeing you middle-aged!"_

Wiping down his brow, Naruto blinked several times to clear his vision before re-reading that whole part again. As much as it was to take in, the blond seemed to be getting it. Tsunade was doing a fantastic job of explaining things so far.

_"So with that in mind the toads want to try and summon you back as soon as they can. They don't know when they will exactly, but from what the elder toad had to say, there is a close pass coming up where the dimensions will almost touch for a moment. That only gives us a window of a day or so to summon you home, but it should be more than enough time to get it done."_

His breath hitched for a moment as Naruto came across that last line.

Home. At last.

That one thought brought back a flood of memories from the fight and all his friends faces. A sudden bout of homesickness hit him suddenly and the blond couldn't help but swallow the lump in his throat as his stomach dropped. To see them all again…

_"The good part of this is that to summon you home, you will first have to summon Gamakichi there so he can reverse summon you back. This means you will know when you will be able to come back, and with that you will have enough time to say goodbye to everyone over there."_

Steeling his resolve, Naruto glared at the scroll as he nodded to himself. There was no way he was going to try and choose one dimension over the other. He was the Forth Hokage's son! If anyone could work out a way to do it, it was going to be him!

_"What the toads suggested is that daily you try and summon them. As the link draws closer, you should find it easier to summon bigger toads without as much chakra loss. When you're finally able to contact Gamakichi, you'll know you have about a day left before you have to leave. _

_I know this is a great deal to try and take in, but I believe you'll get it quickly enough. With that, I think I'll have to sign off. I'm so much more relieved than last time too, so hopefully next time we speak, it will be in person. Take care of yourself and all your friends for me! Let them know I said hello would you?_

_Thank you and I love you, you insatiable boofhead._

_Tsunade-baachan"_

Lowering the scroll, Naruto began to slowly roll it up again as his group of clones all dispersed. The whack of information regarding the whole dimensional rift thing slammed into his mind and with a few moments of sorting, the blond could safely say he had a firm grip on the situation.

If what the toads said was true though, the Elemental Nations could possibly dip in close to Earthland without warning. Should that happen, he could miss valuable time to finish up on things here. Actually…

Sharp teeth pierced the skin of his finger and running though several rapid signs, the ninja slammed his hand to the floor. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!**"

Pumping in enough chakra to call Gamakichi, a cloud of smoke went up briefly before dispersing into the air. Instead of the spunky orange toad though, a smaller brown thing looked up at Naruto expectantly, its head tilted questioningly as it let out a small croak. 

Grinning, Naruto gave it a pat on the head and snatched an insect from the air before feeding it to the toad. "Thanks little guy! Can you relay to Ma and Pa that I got their message and will start summoning them daily?"

Eyes depressed into its head as it swallowed before raising one stubby leg in the form of a salute. It gave a croak of acceptance, a small smile and then disappeared in the same manner it appeared.

Leaning back, the teen let out a slow breath. It had certainly gotten easier to summon as they had predicted, so the final day now had a date of sorts. From how small the toad was though compared to the amount of chakra used, it was still a way away yet.

A bump then to the top of the blonds head interrupted his musings and he looked up to see himself standing over him. Dropping the scroll in his lap, the clone crossed its fingers. "I guess that's everything then?"

Nodding, Naruto looked back down at the twin scroll. "Yeah, that's it. Thanks, you can go now."

Hearing a grunt behind him, Naruto briefly found himself looking at his own back before filing it away into the correct place. Moving his attention to the parchment now on his lap, Naruto picked off the broken strapping that originally held the two scrolls together and unfurled it. A complex matrix was revealed and Naruto's eyes widened as he realised the size of the storage. With something this size, he could make his single scroll the active one while using this one to store pretty well everything else he liked.

Placing his hand over the center of it, Naruto pushed some chakra into the seal and felt a lump of tools appear beneath his palm. Grabbing a spool of wire, Naruto looked it over. It was a high quality chakra conductor that looked to be a good hundred feet in length if the tight coil was anything to go by. Dropping that into his pouch, Naruto then went over all the tools and found each to be of a high standard, much higher than he usually used in any case. Tsunade had really gone all out for him.

Sealing what he didn't need back into the scroll, Naruto slipped both of them into his pouch. Moving to stand up, a thought popped into the blonds' head. He should probably tell Kyuubi about the news, even if it didn't want to talk with him. It did help him by alerting him to the anima after all.

Deciding to make it quick, Naruto closed his eyes and sunk into his subconsciousness.

XxXxXxX

Feeling the familiar slosh of water around his ankles, Naruto opened his eyes and began walking down towards the mighty malevolent being. "Oi, Kyuubi, I got something I thought you'd like to know about."

A growl echoed though the dank chambers as the fox replied. **_"What could you possibly have that I would want? Other than the key to opening the cage, in which case I'd ask you to get on with it."_**

Rolling his eyes, Naruto sighed as the enormous enclosure came into view. "Unfortunately for you, no that's not what I'm coming to tell you. It's actually in regard to us getting back to the Elemental Nations and… have… have you changed colour?"

Finally walking through the entrance, Naruto cut off mid sentence as he got a surprising look at the giant creature nestled within him. Blood red eyes glared down at him like usual, but something seemed to be off with the rest of it. The fur of the Kyuubi was usually a vibrant red that rippled with strength and power. While it hadn't lost any of that imposing size, the colouring of its fur had seemingly shifted from that previous red to a softer pigmentation. Not in a way that it was being watered down, but that it was just changing. If anything, it seemed to be edging towards a pulsating yellow/gold.

Kyuubi narrowed its eyes at the question and looked down at one massive hand resting before it. **_"So it was not just my eyes. I had begun to think I had finally gone insane from boredom. I haven't much to say on this development other than mind your own business. I will discover its meaning for myself."_**

Frowning worriedly, Naruto shook his head and pointed up at the creature. "But this IS my business! Anything that happens to you could affect me in the end! I don't wanna suddenly start turning yellow!"

The creature snorted. **_"Like something this insignificant would affect you. I only wish I could do you more damage. Now, onto more important matters, what was this you had to tell me about getting us back to our rightful dimension?"_**

Not answering immediately, Naruto pondered the colour change for a moment longer. While unexplained, it didn't seem to be doing much to the Kyuubi other than making it tint yellow. The fact that the beast had just as much of an idea as he did about it meant that it was probably unrelated to the strange leaks through the seal. Lord knows the Kyuubi would have taken advantage of it the second it happened.

Letting out a sigh, Naruto decided to let it drop for the moment and answered the question. "Well, apparently this dimension isn't directly connected to our own. It can get further away and closer together at any given time. The toads have worked out that soon though, a near pass is coming up. When that happens, they'll be able to jump the dimensional gap to this world and reverse summon us home."

Absorbing the information instantly, the massive fox nodded as Naruto finished. **_"Very good. I had speculated that that could be one of the methods to our escape. In any case, what they have planned is better for your well being than what I had in mind. At least this way you'll be certain to arrive home with everything still attached to your body."_**

Swallowing, the blond quickly decided he didn't want to know anything about what the Kyuubi had planned for him."W-well, yeah that's pretty much it. Just thought you'd like to know."

Yawning rudely, the fox acknowledged the gesture. **_"Very well. You may leave me be now. Go back to playing tag with that new female friend of yours."_** It then grinned. **_"Don't go using too much of my power now."_**

The deep chuckle rumbled around Naruto and the teen shook his head, grumbling, "There is no way I'd over use something like that by choice."

**_"You say that now…" _**Leaving the statement open, the Kyuubi's grin stretched wide as Naruto faded from its sight.

XxXxXxX

Eyes flickering open, Naruto took a breath and looked to the sky. Now that those things were taken care of, it was time to track down Ultear.

Before that though, the teen had to try and work out what to do with that old guy, Hades is Naruto remembered correctly. Even though the conflict with him had been brief, he had shown remarkable reflexes and strength. He was also incredibly smart with how fast he picked up on Naruto being a **Jinchuuriki (Human Sacrifice)**; not that he knew the exact details. In any case, he wasn't someone Naruto really wanted to cross swords with just now. Victory wasn't a complete guarantee and the time wasted while facing him would be more than he would want to lose.

The main goal right now was getting those key things Ultear spoke of and stopping them from drawing on any more of the Kyuubi. Getting Ultear herself was a close second, but to try and remove her from the ship would be tough. Biting his lip, Naruto had to accept that he might have to leave her behind unless a blatantly obvious chance to grab her presented itself.

First thing though was to locate that damn airship that just flew off. Relaxing, Naruto felt the abundant natural energy surrounding him into his body, the powerful energy filling him up and enhancing his senses to a degree not found in even a highly trained Jounin.

Hearing the mental 'ping' as his reserves filled to one hundred percent, Naruto held his hands out and lifted off the ground with a gentle burst of chakra. The massive thing had turned towards the north last he had seen, so jetting off in that direction Naruto stretched his senses to feel out for the missing mages.

XxXxXxX

Flying along, Naruto grunted to himself in annoyance as his keen eyes surveyed the sky before him. He should have expected a high end masking spell or something similar over the ship. While he had discovered their presence a while back, Naruto just couldn't seem to pinpoint their location. It felt fuzzy, stretching across a quarter of the sky and reaching from the ground up to beyond the clouds. Whenever Naruto then looked in the direction of the feeling, it seemed to shift slightly to make things even more difficult.

He'd been chasing the feeling around for about half an hour now and it didn't feel like he had been getting any closer to reaching the damn thing. Finally pulling to a stop, Naruto frowned and cupped his chin.

For sure he should have caught up to it by now, yet it never seemed to get any closer or further away. The feeling however was consistent in  
>its inconsistency, so that had to account for something. He had thought it would be a simple matter of spotting the ship with his eyes once he got in range, but because it still felt so far away, he hadn't been surprised he couldn't see it. Still though, a pinprick on the horizon would have been nice.<p>

Actually, now that he stopped to think about it, it was rather odd that the ship wasn't getting any closer. Frowning, Naruto welled up a generous amount of chakra and then sent a veritable tidal wave of chakra though the air around him with a forceful, "**Kai (Release)!**"

For a split second Naruto swore he pinpointed the location of the ship, but it was rapidly covered by a shield fo some form. Clicking his tongue, Naruto grunted in frustration. For it to repair itself that quickly meant it was a continually regenerating spell of some form. However, the moment it was locatable, it was close, very close.

How to overcome the rapidly regenerating shield was the main problem. And with a small grin, an idea popped into Naruto's head. Crossing his fingers, Naruto muttered, "**Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone).**" Instantly surrounded by ten selves, they all shot away to space themselves at about two hundred meters apart. Starting off the chain, Naruto raised the Ram seal and muttered, "**Kai**" again.

For a split second the ship was almost locatable but that damn shield covered itself again. However, Naruto locked onto the general location of the signal as he felt a second wave suddenly wash over him from the first clone. Knocking the illusion down again within barely a second, the shield struggled to cover itself again in such a short time space and Naruto looked sharply to the left. A third, fourth, fifth and sixth wave slammed into him and with every hit, the shield left the ship unprotected for a moment longer. And with the final four waves, Naruto finally locked onto it. Looking straight up, chakra flooded his limbs and he shot skywards like a bullet. Bursting through a cloud, Naruto's eyes widened as he finally saw the hidden guild. Reaching out a hand just in time, he slapped his palm to the hull and was swallowed by the force field as it covered the ship once again.

Sighing as he finally got a chance to rest, Naruto crawled onto a small, hidden platform and wiped his forehead. He couldn't pause for long though, all those repeated beatings on the ships barrier couldn't have gone unnoticed. Stilling his breath as he began to meditate, Naruto quickly refilled his supply of natural energy before moving on.

Suppressing his own chakra signal as much as possible, the blond stuck close to the wall as he scaled the side of the enormous ship. Now that he wasn't being distracted by a violent mage before him, Naruto could really get an idea of just what the impressive ship was. His little platform down the very back of it was but a dot on the overall size of the thing.

Underneath the entire guild was an enormous purple spell sign, the intricately designed pattern spinning lazily around in an anti-clockwise direction. Several rings within the external glyph were rotating the opposite way and with the work of them together, somehow managed to keep the enormous thing afloat. About the third the way up the total height of the guild at the very back protruded a cone shaped tail. From this thing rotated a vertically angled seal similar to the one beneath. The difference here though was that it was much smaller and spinning a great deal faster. Understanding that to be the propulsor of the ship, Naruto turned his gaze from that and looked down the length of the panelled side.

From what he could see, there was a long central hull flanked by another, equally long float running its length. From the way it was attached, one could guess the main bulk of the airship was being supported by this float. If that was the case, then there was a good chance the other side was the same. The fleeting glimpse the teen had gotten of the underside of it before it disappeared reinforced that theory.

Windows seemed to run along the sides of the float too, indicating that was the general sleeping area for the guild. At the very front of it, a large, frilled, almost eagle-head like shield protected the float from any frontal collisions. While impressive and rather empty right now, Naruto ignored it and continued climbing. Anyone of Ultear's status wouldn't stand for being housed in the common area, and there's no way in hell they'd keep something like those keys out there.

Crawling onto the roof, Naruto held himself flat against it as he got a proper look at the mail hull for the first time. It actually looked like a boat for all intents and purposes. Its bow was about half the height of its total stature, black with purple trim and the edges of what looked like the guild symbol printed proudly on the front of it. Naruto couldn't work out the reason of sticking that on there when no one was actually going to see it. That wasn't why he was stuck fast to the floor though. The top half of it was covered by a massive black roof, completely supported by huge windows that ran around the entire thing. Naruto couldn't sense anyone in there, but should anyone look out they would undoubtly be able to spot him.

Flicking through three easy hand seals, Naruto let his chakra rise to his skin and effectively turn him invisible. That should take care of that. Still, one could never be too careful so staying low, Naruto climbed down the othersider of the float, across the thick connecting passages and onto the side of the main hull. Looking around, the blond frowned for a moment before spying what looked like an emergency escape door. Shimmying over to it, Naruto pulled himself up onto the thin platform and looked it over. There was no external handle, but the hinge joints poked through the gap indicating it swung outward. Deciding to test it, Naruto anchored the majority of his body off to the side, leaving only one chakra covered palm attached to the flat of the door. Quickly verifying no one was nearby inside, he gave it a sharp tug and was almost surprised to feel it give a fair bit. Maintenance must be a little down in this area and it was something the blond was fully willing to exploit. Tugging again, though this time a bit more gently, the latch within gave way and opened.

Grinning triumphantly, the teen stuck his head in the door cautiously and looked around. As his senses told him, no one was nearby. Creeping in, Naruto pulled the door closed behind him and tried to make it lock. Unfortunately for the blond, he found out the latch had broken due to his tugs and was now useless. Sticking a foot to the door to hold it closed, Naruto dug into his pouch and pulled free the remaining spool of his original wire. Breaking off a portion of it, the blond opened the door a fraction and knelt down near the base. Filling the wire with chakra, he pushed it against the metal and after a bit of work, managed to push it through. Repeating the process with the wall, he then looped the wire through the holes, pulled the door closed and tied the two ends together.

Giving the door an experimental push, Naruto nodded in satisfaction. It was holding well enough, but a good hit should open it. That was fine just in case he had to make a mad dash for the escape. Now, it was time to find those keys. Problem was, he had no idea what they looked like.

Having viewed the ship's design from the outside and noticed the more sealed areas towards the back, Naruto decided that heading that way would be the best. To have an area like that covered meant it was either sleeping quarters, the main safe room, or in this case, probably both. The hallway he was currently in was essentially a metallic tube with wires and other electrical panels attached to the walls at regular intervals. The chances of meeting someone beyond an engineer down here was low, but there was still no need to take chances.

Creeping along, Naruto effectively blended into the shadows seamlessly, the only thing really visible being the whites of his eyes as they peered down the tunnel. More than once he had frozen when voices floated in from all directions, but no one as of yet had actually walked into view. Eventually coming across a main man-hole of sorts, the blond stretched out his enhanced senses to make sure no one was beyond the hatch. Climbing the ladder, he carefully pushed up on the lid and peeked out.

What met his eyes was a vast contrast to the bowel of the ship. Fine wooden floors stretched off in both directions, the soft light of the overhead bulbs reflecting onto the walls gently. A plush, off white skirting covered the floor-to-wall seam with intricate patterns carved into them. The walls themselves were flat white with the occasional high quality painting hung on it. Finally, the roof was a deep maroon, flecked with gold and silver, the paint sparkling in the light.

Swallowing as he took in the vast splendour of the hall, Naruto shook his head as he silently pulled himself out. They really seemed to like luxury. Putting that out of his mind for now though, the teen frowned as he tried to pinpoint any possible locations for the keys. Most of the ship felt warm and dark, much like the place was flooded with a strong yet extremely well controlled power. It put a damper over most everything and it also felt a great deal like Hades for some reason. Despite this though, a certain room stuck out through the covering.

Knowing this signature well, Naruto began to dash silently towards it. Rounding one lavish corner, he suddenly jumped to the roof and stuck fast to it. Grumbling softly to himself, Naruto waited for the couple of oblivious mages to pass beneath him. Even with **Senjutsu** activated, this all consuming power was becoming a problem. It was masking weaker energy signals extremely well so with a sigh, the blond continued at a more subdued pace. He couldn't afford to accidentally run over one of the grunts.

Several minutes and close calls later, Naruto found himself ruffled and cranky, yet standing in front of the door he wanted. Those weaker mages seemed to pop up like rabbits from absolutely nowhere! Still, he was here now so anything else was irrelevant. Testing the door handle, he was unsurprised to find it locked. The key hole however proved to be no match to his lock picking skills and within a second or so, Naruto had gained entry.

Peeking through the slit, Naruto looked into the room. No one could be seen, so with all the noise of a shadow, Naruto slipped in, locked the door again and knelt in the darkest corner of the room. Effectively shielded behind a large bookcase, the blond finally took stock of the quarters he had slipped into.

Towards the back of the room was a closed door, the muffled sounds of rushing water coming out from behind it. Just beside that was a comfy looking seat and footrest that had a few clothes and underwear pieces dumped on it. From that, there was a rather large, elaborately designed bed and headpiece right in the middle of the room that butted up against the feature wall. Beside that was a night table with a single lamp sitting on it. Parallel to that was the bookcase Naruto had hidden himself beside, the actual thing full to bursting with a myriad of different manuscripts. As he had crept in, the blond had also noticed another doorway on the other side of the bookcase that probably led to a kitchenette or something like that. The actual colours of the room were very royal with the walls being a deep red, the quilt on the bedspread being a regal purple and the carpet below a deep navy blue. It seemed a bit excessive but for some reason, Naruto couldn't see it as being anything less for the owner's personal tastes.

Hearing a squeak, Naruto huddled down further into his corner as the water cut off. Suppressing his chakra to the point where he felt hollow, Naruto's orange eyes locked onto the shower door. A few seconds past before the door finally opened.

What greeted his wasn't anything he planned for, but at the same time something he should have expected. Ultear came walking out drying her long hair wearing absolutely nothing but the skin she was born in. Blinking several times, Naruto absently wiped away the tickle in his nose and looked down at the floor. He might like having a perve every now and then but he wasn't an outright lecher like his old mentor, especially within the privacy of a lady's own room. He had to say though; Ultear had a fantastic set of legs.

Hearing the woman sigh, the blonds' ears pricked as he tried to listen in for any information at all. Making sure to watch only her feet as the girl walked over to the bed, Naruto stilled himself as much as possible. Hearing the mattress compress, the bedside draw scratched open and the raven haired woman let out another sigh as she seemed to pull something out. Hazarding a glance up, Naruto found her to be mostly covered with her hair curtaining over her chest and her crossed legs hiding anything special. The piece in her hands looked like it could be a photo or a letter of some sort and it seemed to have a special meaning to her as she stroked her finger over it. A melancholy smile crossed her face and Naruto frowned when he heard her mumble, "I'm sorry Naruto. Soon everything will be ok. Soon."

The only thing that stopped him from escaping the second he heard his name was the fact he knew without a shadow of a doubt that there was no way she knew he was there listening. Though that asked the question, what was she apologising for? Was she really that sorry about breaking everything? If so, why didn't she just come back with him when he asked?

Frowning in confusion, Naruto ended up just mentally shaking his head. She was a very complex woman. Hearing her let out a small breath as she fell back onto the mattress, Naruto settled himself in for what could be a long wait. Only a moment later though, Ultear let out a grunt and before Naruto knew it, the towel she had been using suddenly found itself flung at him to land on his face. Ripping it off and throwing it away from his position, Naruto heard her mutter, "That's better" before rolling over.

From there, a few minutes passed until a soft chime floated through the room. Letting out a small groan, Ultear pulled herself up. Pushing herself to her feet, Naruto couldn't help but snicker silently as she scratched her backside during her walk over to whatever it was that made the noise. Hide a woman away from prying eyes and they're just as basic as any male apparently.

Hearing a soft click, Ultear then walked back into view as a familiar voice filled the room. "Ultear, I assume you have finished washing up?"

Smirking as she retrieved her towel from the floor, the female hung it from around her shoulders. "Oh Master Hades, you know you can't rush a lady when she is in the middle of cleaning up. Despite this, yes I am almost done."

A longsuffering grunt filled the room as the Master changed the subject. "Very well. Once you are done, come to see me. The keys still need to be tended to and then there is also another matter involving a breach in security I have to discuss with you."

Frowning, Naruto watched Ultear as the woman raised a thumb to nibble on. "Really? How long ago did it happen?"

Now this was interesting gauge to see how well he had managed to infiltrate the ship. "So far, all that happened was a short, rapid succession of blows to the ships cloaking spell. It was far too ordered to be a simple chance blast of Eternano. As such, I have a strong suspicion someone could have managed to get on."

Well that was good news. In a perfect world they would have never knew he boarded but this was a pretty close second. "Very well. Should there be anyone here I will catch them."

"I'd hope so. See you soon."

"Indeed."

Hearing another click signifying the end of the conversation, Naruto internally grinned in victory. 'Catch me will you? I could almost run under your nose right now and you wouldn't even know.'

Walking back into his line of sight, Naruto had to drop his eyes again. Ultear really seemed like the freedom of no clothes. Kneeling down beside the bed, Naruto soundlessly swallowed and actually closed his eyes as he was presented with an absolutely perfect a view of her backside.

This was starting to get a bit uncomfortable for the teen. He came in here to get those key things, not to hide in a corner for a free peep show.

Hearing her move away, Naruto opened his eye a slit and sighed in relief as he saw her pulling on a set of black undies. Looking back to the bed, he saw a draw actually pulled out from under it holding a few outfits. Not a bad little idea if Naruto said so himself. He might have to imitate that when he went home as it saved a great deal of space.

Next out came a rather daring dress that didn't seem to hide all that much as she pulled it on. It was a deep blue with a black sash tied up around her middle to hold things together. There was a high split up the side that allowed movement, the gap also revealing a sizeable portion of her leg. The top of it however more resembled a bikini than a dress as twin pieces of fabric ran up from her waist and over the front of her breasts to loop around her neck and run down her back. A pair of sleeve like attachments were next pulled over her arms, the independent pieces secured by a clasp around her toned biceps. Finally having finished that, the girl grabbed what looked like two red hair band before pulling her long locks out into duel, loosely tied pig tails.

Ducking into the bathroom, she quickly returned with a fresh layer of that blood red lipstick she liked and a dashing of eye shadow. Looking around her room one last time, Naruto held his breath as her eyes ran directly over him for a moment before she sighed. That was quickly replaced by a confident upturning of the corners of her mouth before she strutted over to her door and walked out.

Hearing the click of the lock, Naruto finally let out a sigh of relief now that that was all over. He really hadn't been expecting such a show and he could only think about what Jiraiya was crying out from beyond the grave. Ruffling his hair uncomfortably, Naruto finally stood up and stretched. Walking over to the door, Naruto nearly grabbed it when he saw a piece of paper and a pencil lying on the bedside table. A moment of indecisiveness washed over him as a thought jumped into his mind.

He knew he really shouldn't touch anything because that would be an instant alert as to who was here. In saying that though… the memory of Ultear looking so down didn't really want to be one he'd remember. So against all training, Naruto quickly grabbed the pencil and wrote a note before sliding it deep under her pillow. Hesitating one more moment, Naruto shook his head. It was done, time to find the keys.

Checking no one was coming, the blond quietly slipped out of the room. Feeling Ultear's presence moving away briskly, Naruto silently dashed after her. Easily catching up, he slowed down about ten meters behind her and slipped up beside a pot plant. From there, he tailed her by waiting until she rounded a corner and then running up to the wall and pressing himself against it. This continued for about five minutes until Naruto sensed something wrong. Ultear had pulled to a stop and had begun radiating power. "I know you're there, just come out."

Eyes widening, Naruto squashed himself against the wall even further. How did she know? He had been dead silent the whole time and his **Henge (Transformation) **was still perfect. The woman had begun walking back towards him so hoping it was just a once off thing, he scaled the wall and attached himself to the roof. Not a second later, the lady rounded the corner and looked around. "Show yourself!"

Biting his lip as she looked around aggressively, Naruto prayed to whoever was watching over him that she wouldn't find him. Swiping her arm through the air, a fine mist of ice partials rushed down the hall, bouncing off all the walls and ornaments like a sonar. Finding nothing, Naruto silently let out a breath as Ultear bit her thumbnail in confusion. "Odd, I swear I felt vibrations following me the whole time."

Blinking in surprise, Naruto watched as she turned and continued her walk. He hadn't expected something like that to be picked up, especially with how lightly he'd been treading. Still, that only pointed to how accomplished a mage she was. Shaking his head in disbelief, Naruto gave her a much longer head start before following her along the wall.

Eventually, the woman led him into a massive room that had the blond looking around in awe. The entire room was encased with a massive dome of glass, support beams running throughout the whole thing and dividing it all up into enormous squares. The ground itself was all fine wooden flooring laid in longways strips. Towards the back of the room however was a massive feature piece that had Naruto pausing in caution. A huge set of wings stuck up into the air, sitting right behind a massive throne of what looked like bone. There were three spires jutting up, the first directly behind the seat and the other two flowing outwards from it at a forty-five degree angle, easily directing all attention to the man seated in the middle of it all. In front of all that was a walkway up to the throne that was guided in by two strips of rocks rising up from the floorboards.

It was quite a spectacular sight and it more than complimented the proud and powerful Master sitting there watching as Ultear walked up before him. Now, if said lady had almost picked him just from the vibrations of his footsteps, Naruto would bet a lifetime of ramen that Hades was one hundred times more astute than his subordinate. With this in mind, the ninja opted to stick close to the door, well out of sight and hopefully sensing distance. Hearing them begin murmuring, Naruto closed his eyes and allowed the surrounding natural energy to flow through him like he wasn't there. He also directed an amount to his ears and within seconds their voices amplified to an easily audible level.

"… the key you collected. I need you to check on them and see to it that they are responding the way the writings describe. If any of us wish to reach our goals they must be perfect."

Good, that was what he'd been waiting for. Ultear will hopefully lead him right to the keys and he could grab them, destroy them and be on his merry way without them knowing any better until he was long gone. "But of course. I'll make sure that nothing goes wrong."

Humming in approval, Hades moved on. "Now, to the matter of this break in."

Naruto could imagine Ultear raise an eyebrow by the question in her voice. "It's been confirmed?"

"Not officially, but after thinking it over further, I am certain someone is aboard. I have already alerted everyone to keep their eyes and ears open. You are to comb the ship and try find any evidence of tampering. You are to report back to me as soon as you are done with any reports."

Groaning, the blond held his head. While it was good news that they still didn't know it was him, the fact everyone was now looking was going to make things super frustrating.

"Oh, and one last thing before you leave."

Hearing the hidden anger in the deep voice, Naruto frowned. What now? "It appears your blond friend has managed to defeat Zancrow. I have only just received word via a mole in the council that he is currently in a deep coma. By all intents and purposes he should be dead from what I understand."

Ultear grunted disapprovingly while Naruto's eyes widened massively. How the hell had that guy managed to survive that attack? It had been a raging inferno in there!

Ignoring Ultear's sound, Hades continued. "The attack seemed to involve a fire assult of some massive scale that even he couldn't avoid."

Ultear highly disbelieving voice cut in there as she exclaimed, "A fire attack? This mole must be lying, there is nothing flame based Zancrow cannot eat. Normal flames have a hard enough time burning him as it is!"

Growling at the woman, Hades rebuked her. "Don't claim someone is lying when you have no evidence to back yourself with. Nothing is truly impossible and this is just another example. I have seen pictures and he is a burnt crisp. The only thing that can damage someone like that is fire. From what I can theorise, the lone power that could hurt him is his own flames, so with that in mind this Naruto boy somehow turned his own ability against him."

There was a pause as Ultear processed the information. "I… I had no idea that was possible. How did he survive?"

Seemingly satisfied by the humbled answer, her Master continued. "Well, it is. Upon inspections, it was revealed he had extensive burns in his mouth and down his oesophagus. That means he must have tried eating the attack and was partially successful, hence the reason he escaped with what life he has left."

Blinking in disbelief, Naruto suddenly found a new form of respect for the insane mage. To somehow manage to eat enough of that fireball to save himself… actually, that could explain that brief fluctuation in the balls size just before it exploded. To say he was surprised was an understatement.

"Naruto has proven himself to be exceptionally dangerous. More so than anyone we have come across thus far. I will be warning everyone of this boy. I believe that currently, I am the only one who would stand a chance against him. If you ever do happen to run into him again, you are to escape immediately, do I make myself clear? I do not want to have to deal with another problem like this."

Frowning at the warning, Naruto couldn't help but feel a little disgruntled. It's Hades' own fault for putting him up against the mage. If he'd just let the keys go everything would have gone much smoother. And now Ultear wasn't allowed to see him again? Even if she still needed to fess up to her crime, she was still his friend and he wasn't about to break that tie with her so easily.

Nevertheless, Naruto could only hope that Ultear's, "Yes Master Hades, I understand" was a lie like most of what she said.

For now though he had to forget that. It was time to get on with it the most pressing mission. "Very good. Now, go and check the keys and then get searching."

Bowing to her superior, Ultear turned away and began walking to the door. "As you command, sir."

Squashing himself into the corner again, Naruto eyed the woman as she walked past him. Not even daring to breathe she was that close, the teen waited until she was a good distance away before releasing his breath. Taking one last look at the dangerous mage seated in the middle of the room, Naruto shook his head before tailing his lead.

XxXxXxX

The powerful mage before him seemed to walk deep into the ship in search for the keys to Zeref. They passed many grunts during their walk, all of them taking the time to bow to the woman as she strode by. Even with all the people however, Naruto found himself grinning each time another mage passed them as none so much as even twitched an ear in his direction.

Looking around as things got less fancy and more metallic, Naruto mentally gave himself a high five for placing little markers on each corner to help guide him out. Passing through a solid doorway, Naruto looked around as the entire hall abruptly swapped from a relatively comfortable design into one of pure machinery. Following the mage, Naruto guessed they were getting close. Eventually Ultear came to a stop before an impressive pair of doors that were barred by a sturdy set of rods. Suddenly, the mage turned around and released a wave of ice fragments in every direction. Panicking, Naruto scrambled to dive into a cleft in the wall just as the wave washed past him. Breathing deeply at the surprise move, Naruto peeked around the corner as Ultear stared straight up at him. 'Crap.'

Not moving one iota, the blond watched on as the mage slowly walked over to where he was. Realising what she was planning, he desperately snuck away as silently as possible, pumping as much chakra around him as he dared to hold up the camouflage. He managed to get to the other side of the hall via the roof and looked back just in time to see Ultear fill the space with more ice partials. Letting out another breath, the blond flattened himself up against a pipe. Ultear really was a tricky human to track.

Satisfied there was no one in the gap, the mage walked back over to the door and flicked her hand over the right-hand wall as a small pad presented itself. Weaving an intricate sign over it, the pad flashed a soft blue before retracting into the wall. Memorising the pattern as best he could, Naruto waited for Ultear to enter before he crawled in after her.

The doors slid shut smoothly behind them and the room blacked out for a moment before a pale light illuminated a box at the back of the room. Thankful for even more cover, Naruto snuck up closer than he'd otherwise have dared and watched as Ultear pulled the cover off. A self sustaining purple glow flickered across the wall as the lid was rested to the side.

Peering over the mages shoulder from his perch on the wall, Naruto finally got a look at the keys. There were several within, all glowing gently as Ultear reached in and pulled one out. The key itself was in the form of a stylised 'Z' with a single oval eye in sitting right in the middle of the diagonal stroke.

Raising a confused eyebrow as Ultear began stroking it gently, Naruto tried to find a source of power within it but failed. Outside of its ability to produce a weak light, it didn't feel like it could do much of anything. Still, he guessed it must have some form of ability for it to muck up his seal _and_ revive Zeref.

Having caressed the key long enough, Ultear replaced it and smiled down at the batch of three with an almost longing gaze. The intensity of the light picked up slightly as they were reunited and the girl's smile widened. "Beautiful… just beautiful. Don't worry Zeref, we shall come and awaken you soon. We will help you regain your full power."

Raising her head to the roof with closed eyes, the woman sighed. "Then I can fix everything. I can live the way I want. Meet who I want. Laugh the way I want." Her face then slowly hardened as her eyes opened. "Until then though, I must do whatever it takes to gain my power."

Replacing the lid, Ultear stepped back and turned to face the door. Swiping the left-hand side of the wall this time, a pad appeared and Naruto watched as she traced the original pattern in reverse. Cleaver, that would catch most people out by trying to use the same code to escape. Glowing blue, the pad retracted into the wall as the doors opened. Walking through, the mage turned and took one last look at the box as a dark shadow crept across her face. "Until then, not even you can stop me Naruto."

His heart instantly jumped into his mouth as he heard his name uttered. Swallowing the massive lump as the doors cut her off from view, the teen managed to convince himself that she wasn't talking directly to him as there was no way she'd have just left him in there with the precious keys. Still, her strange fixation on him was curious. She had such a divided mindset though that Naruto didn't even want to try and speculate what she was thinking.

Waiting several minutes to make sure she wasn't going to return, the blond ninja eventually lowered himself to the floor. Walking up to the box, he opened the lid and pulled out one of the keys. Turning it over in his hands, Naruto puzzled the piece. It really wasn't anything special. Still, it was meant to bring back Zeref so there must be something inside them. Digging around in his pouch, Naruto pulled out his scroll and unrolled it. Grabbing the remaining keys, he placed them on the sealing matrix and channelled chakra through them. Instantly they disappeared into the paper with a puff of smoke and Naruto rolled it up. That was the first half of the mission successfully completed, now to escape.

Walking back to the door, Naruto waved his hand over the wall. Nothing happened. Frowning, the blond tried again and got the same result. He raised an eyebrow then as he considered this new problem. So it wasn't motion sensitive apparently. If that was the case then it was most probably magically powered. He wasn't about to try and run chakra run through it though because if what happened to that SE car he destroyed all that time ago was anything to go by, he'd probably overload the system and blow it up. That only left magic and unfortunately, he didn't have any control over it.

Casually waving his hand over it again, Naruto pondered something. His **Kawazu Kumite (Frog Kata)** utilised natural energy to deliver attacks so just maybe, the magic filled natural energy might activate it.

Reaching out gently, Naruto let the flow of chakra within him guide the power through his hand and swiped the wall. There was a soft whirring from within and then the pad popped out after a moment's hesitation. Grinning successfully, he carefully repeated the sign he saw Ultear use and sighed in relief as it flicked blue. Stepping back as the doors pulled open, Naruto looked around cautiously. So far everything was going just perfectly so hopefully it would continue this way.

Creeping back the way he came, Naruto quietly checked his surrounding area for anyone as he followed his markers. As he turned a corner though, Murphy's Law kicked in and everything suddenly fell into chaos. A bright light abruptly flashed as his leg passed through a small beam of light close to the floor.

Cursing violently as an ear splitting alarm sounded out, Naruto threw all caution to the wind and took off like a rocket. He hadn't expected an alarm like that. Ultear must have been checking them off as they walked. It was no surprise he didn't see her doing that though since he had been following her from a distance. Not making the same mistake twice, Naruto leapt to the wall and charged down it as several urgent voices began reaching his ears.

The only thing that he could really be thankful for was all the noise masked his footsteps and that everyone would be expecting him to be heading towards the keys, not away. Dashing into an adjacent hallway, Naruto let a group of mages rush past him blindly. Watching them disappear, Naruto turned his eyes back to the path. From here on out it was going to be exceptionally tricky.

Slipping down a few more halls, Naruto pressed himself down behind the first pot plant he'd seen in a while as a certain pink haired girl he remembered dashed past. Her grim determination was evident on her face and Naruto watched her disappear down the corridor for a few seconds. Eventually losing sight of her, Naruto was about to leave when the ground started shaking under him. Blinking in shock, he grabbed the plant to stabilise himself as a mountain of a man thundered past him. "D-don't you worry Meredy, we'll catch this guy for sure! Though I'm not too sure if I can beat him… that doesn't mean I-I'm not ready to fight!"

The fleeting glimpse Naruto got of him was a thick, curled mass of hair growing from a staggeringly oversized head that ran down the back of a massive tan cape which fluttered behind him. Aside from that, he didn't really seem to have much else on in the way of clothing apart from a dark brown set of underwear length tights and a pair of stomping great black boots. His chalk white skin seemed to be glistening in sweat as he ran, indicating his monstrous girth wasn't due to muscle. "So, ju-just let me catch up and we'll get him together!"

Sweat dropping as the man followed the same path as Meredy, Naruto shook his head. What a strange individual. He seemed to have a fairly high level of magic within him though so Naruto was thankful he didn't grab his attention. Taking his journey back to the roof, Naruto scurried along as more and more lower class mages ran by, the halls progressively filling with them. Turning sharply, the blond headed rapidly for his escape when a dangerous voice made him freeze. "You stop right there boy. I know exactly where you are now."

Eyes widening, Naruto turned to look back down the way he came and spotted Hades of all people standing there. Anger was burning brightly within his visible eye, his calm posture radiating power. "I'll give you the option of facing me before I outright kill you for what you have done. Actually... give me back the keys quietly and I'll only erase your memory of this place and us. You have earned it."

Realising it wasn't worth hiding anymore, Naruto's body faded into sight as the cloaking technique ebbed away. Dropping to the floor, he stood up straight in front of the wily old man. "You already know my answer. I can't give these back. I've already told you this could prove to end in disaster if you keep gathering them."

Crossing his arms, the Master pinned him with a deadly stare. "I'll make the choice of whether or not I'll keep collecting Zeref's keys. Now hand them over if you don't wish to die."

Standing firm, Naruto met his gaze evenly. "You kill me and I can guarantee you will never get the keys back. You can even check me now, I don't have them on me." Technically this was true, but the old man didn't know any better.

Frowning, the first waves of power began gusting around the pair. "You'd do well not to anger me child. Within this ship there is NO ONE who could stop me. I am this ship and this ship is me."

Eyes widening, Naruto pointed a finger at him. "I knew something felt weird about this thing!"

Smirking as he uncrossed his arms, Hades began walking forward. "Yes, so with that said I must congratulate you on remaining hidden from me for so long. It was only in these last few minutes where you disregarded stealth that I was able to pick you up."

Silently cursing himself, Naruto externally remained calm. "Thanks, but that still won't make me give the keys back."

Narrowing his eye, the Master finally came to a stop before the battle ready teen. Staring him down from the considerable height difference, Hades wrinkled his nose in a moment of curiosity. "Assuming you get away, what will you do with the keys? They hold no real power themselves as I'm sure a mage of your calibre managed to work out."

Nodding slowly, Naruto took a step back to meet his gaze more readily. "I'll destroy them. I cannot let something like this unleash the monster in me."

A wash of anger rolled over the teen and he had to close his eyes against the buffering wind for a second. "You will not hand them back will you?"

The blond resolutely shook his head. Growling, the mage snatched out a hand and lifted Naruto up off the ground. "Well if that's the case I shall just kill you and search for the keys later. Despite what you claim, with you dead there is still a chance. This will also be payment for your treatment of Zancrow!"

And swiping his hand down, Hades buried his arm deep into Naruto's stomach. The blond lurched forward as blood exploded from his mouth, the droplets coating the Masters face. Hanging there for a second, Naruto flinched one last time before collapsing. Smirking, Hades held him out. "Pathetic. To think this boy managed to defeat Zancrow."

As he said that though, the teen in his hands abruptly exploded into smoke and what was actually hanging from the Masters arm was the shattered remains of a pot plant. Eyes widening in disbelief, Hades swung his arm out to fling the debris from his hand. Desperately trying to locate the elusive blond, the mage growled furiously before shouting out, "Find Naruto and KILL HIM!"

XxXxXxX

Dashing back towards the keys, Ultear suddenly skidded to a stop as her Master's livid voice resounded throughout the ship. Blinking in surprise, she made sure she heard what she thought she heard. Naruto was on the ship? But how? She hadn't felt a single…

A fist suddenly smashed into the wall and destroyed a portion of it. Of course it was Naruto! Who else could have been following her? Those footsteps had had to have been his! Not to mention that supposedly 'false call' at the keys' door! It had been him all along! Growling in frustration, the raven haired beauty turned and dashed back to her room. If she knew anything about the boy, he'd most probably have found her quarters to try and at least see what she was doing.

The door pretty well exploded off its hinges as the surprisingly sturdy lady barrelled through it. Combing the room with her eyes, Ultear scanned every little detail for a sign of tampering. Striding into her kitchenette, she flung open cupboards and tossed pots aside to see if anything had changed. Finding nothing, she stomped into the shower and repeated the process. Again coming up blank, she stormed back out into her main room.

How could he have been so undetectable? Not even Master Hades had discovered him until just moments ago! By all means that should have been impossible, but for some reason the overwhelmed woman found impossible meant absolutely nothing to the blond mystery that went by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. Groaning, she kicked her bed in anger and was just about to leave when she saw something dislodge under the pillow.

Snatching it out, her eyes flickered over the distinctly Naruto writings with growing eyes. By the end of it, she lowered it slowly, not quite able to believe what she had just read. He had heard all that? Blushing slightly, she also realised that whole time she had been completely naked. Who _knew_ what kind of things she had shown him. Feeling her ears tingling in embarrassment, she did her best to put it out of her mind. Still though… lifting the page, she slowly read it again.

_Ultear-chan._

_I dunno what you're apologising to me for, but please don't worry about it. I hardly take anything to heart. If you meant sorry for breaking all that stuff and not going back to the council though, well you should just go back there like a good girl and confess. That'll make people happy again and then once you get out of prison again, we can go to Akane Resort like you wanted!_

_Uzumaki Naruto._

_P.S. If you don't turn yourself, I _will_ come for you. You're just lucky I can't get you now._

Allowing herself to drop to the bed, Ultear let out a breath. Was he still so obsessed over all that? A small chuckle bubbled out and the girl looked down at the piece of paper again. To her surprise though, she saw a drop of water on the page. Looking up in confusion, she tried to spot a leak. Feeling her cheeks tickling however, the girl raised a hand and brought it away. It was wet.

Eyes widening, it was then she realised she was crying. He had actually managed to make her cry, after who knew how many long years of not a single wet eye. Sniffing a bit, she quickly wiped away the moisture and looked down at the page. Flipping it over, she couldn't help but muffle a laugh as she read, _Oh, and don't worry, I didn't peek. Much._

'Oh Naruto you impossible boy. I wish you weren't so damn loveable because you are the worst enemy in the world to me right now!'

Looking at the note a moment longer, the woman eventually folded it carefully and slipped the small piece of paper into her top for safekeeping. Taking her feet again as a number of mages ran past her open door, Ultear strode out, intent on finding the intruder.

XxXxXxX

Kicking open the door he had wired shut, Naruto had to quickly grab the wall as the wind suddenly ripped in through the open hole and tried to suck him out. Steadying himself, he nearly stepped out when a familiar voice reached him. "Naruto! Please, give us those keys back!"

Not really expecting the tone, his bright orange eyes turned over to face Ultear. She was standing there with mixed emotions flickering across her face, the most apparent of them being confusion. Turning away from the door, he looked her square in the eye. "I'm sorry but I can't do that."

Desperation began leaking into her voice as the girl began pleading her case. "But-but without them I can't fix everything! I can't go back in time to live the life I deserved! Please, you have no idea how long I have struggled for them!"

Keeping up his poker face, Naruto just stared at the worried mage for a moment. "So you want Zeref to somehow send you back in time to fix your childhood?"

Swallowing, she nodded wordlessly. Nothing registered on Naruto's face as he spoke again. "Was your childhood really that painful?"

Nodding again, Ultear took a step towards him. "Yes… I… I just want to go back and live with my mother; make friends the way I should have, lived the way I should have!"

Wind buffered Naruto's wild hair about and his clothes desperately tried to rip him out the door but he held firm. Piercing orange eyes bore deep into Ultear's and as much as she wanted to, she couldn't look away. "So why sacrifice everything you have achieved up until now for something that will most likely turn out to be nothing but a dream?"

Anger began creeping into her voice as Ultear threw a hand out wide. "Because everything up until now has been nothing _but_ for this cause! If I don't follow through with it…"

"…It'll make everything you have lived for up until now irrelevant. Am I right?"

Turning shocked eyes over to the male, Ultear slowly nodded. It wasn't something she wanted to dwell on, but it wasn't something she could deny had crossed her mind in the past. As if reading her thoughts, Naruto continued. "So all the more reason to make everything from now on count! You think you are the only person who's had a hard life? My life has been nothing but loneliness and rejection until just within these last few years. You wish you could live with your mother? I wish I had known who mine even was while I was growing up!"

Blinking in surprise as Naruto revealed a portion of his secrets, Ultear shook her head. "But if you had the opportunity to go back and change it, would you? Surely you would!"

Frowning, Naruto denied it. "No, I wouldn't. My life may have been hard, but with a goal to work towards and with the friends I have made along the way, I wouldn't change anything. You need to stop dwelling in the past. Let it go, look to the future and move on."

A lost look swept across Ultear's face as Naruto backed up to the door. "But how? How am I meant to do that? What else do I have to live for?"

Finally, a smile brightened the teen's face as he grabbed the door frame. "Well, you have Meredy and me. I'd say those are two pretty good reasons. Start there! Cause I'll always be here and so will she."

Suddenly, a loud boom echoed throughout the ship and both persons flinched at the sound. "Well, that's my signal. Catch ya later."

Eyes widening, Ultear ran forward. "No, wait! The keys!"

Diving forward, Ultear just missed grabbing his shirt and stared after him as his body rapidly descended towards the earth. Her worried eyes gazed down as his voice just managed to reach her ears before the wind snatched it away. "I will come back and get you, I promise!"

Lowering her hand as a massive figure came up beside her, Ultear hung her head. "I'm sorry Master Hades. I failed."

Grunting in disgust, the man whirled away. "I did not recruit you to succeed all the time Ultear, but this cannot be tolerated. Come, we are going to chase him down. This time you will NOT disappoint me."

Taking one last look out the door, the woman held back her wildly kicking hair before turning away and following her Master back into the ship.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – well, after a fairly long delay, I give you chapter 31. To make up for it though I wrote it a bit longer. Enjoy._

_As for my reasons for being late, I can safely lay ALL… MOST of the blame on __**A fan 1204 **__for distracting me with a fantastic fic suggestion I just couldn't stop reading. I told him to ready himself for the flames. He replied with he is ready. Check out his fic while you're there._

_Also adding to the delay was a couple of awesome new anime I have come across. I won't bore you with the details, but if you wanna know what I'm watching just ask me in your review. I'll hook you up with a couple of good programs._

_On a pointless note, with this chapter I broke 300'000 words and 600 pages in my word document. Yay for me._

_As for the omake, I cannot remember who it was that told me this, but please remind me who it was because the idea is just gold!_

**Omake**

Naruto and Natsu were resting after another crazy guild fight that had claimed the lives of several chairs and tables. Most everyone was out cold and slumped over various items uncomfortably.

Groaning, Naruto pulled himself up as Natsu rolled over onto his stomach. "Wow, so that whole red shroud thing is pretty nuts hey! I had no idea it gave you so much power."

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Naruto looked down at the mage. "What on earth make you bring that up?"

A grin began to stretch across his face as he laid his trap. "Oh, you know, just thinking about that name you hate an' all, 'Orange Rocket'."

Shuddering, Naruto smacked his lips like he tasted something bad. "Yeah… what about it?"

Grin widening immensely, Natsu proceeded to drop the bomb. "Well what with you having that red cloak 'n' all, we should call you the 'Red Rocket'!"

Bursting out laughing, it took Naruto a moment to realise exactly what happened. The fires of hell exploded around him when the penny dropped however and diving at Natsu, the enraged teen proceeded to beat the mage into an unrecognisable pulp. Regardless of this, the mocking laughter carried on for hours afterwards.

XxXxXxX

_If anyone doesn't understand, search South Park – Red Rocket._

_Prepare to be scarred._

_Lanky Nathan_


	32. Chapter 32

Hurtling towards the earth, Naruto looked back up at the ship one last time. He'd sensed Hades creeping up on them just as he'd dropped away so he was pretty happy with his timing. Turning back down to look at the earth, the blond tried to spot anywhere safe to land. There may have been trees everywhere in this fairly lush area, but even so it wasn't really protected enough from something like Hades.

Chakra exploded from his limbs and his downward fall was rapidly swung sideways into horizontal flight as the ninja shot away from the massive guild. Anywhere away from here would be good, so forcing the remaining nature chakra into propulsion the teen almost doubled in speed and hurtled towards the horizon.

It came as a bit of a surprise to the teen then when a sudden burst of life to his upper left had him swinging away to dodge a sudden attack. Shooting up to gain some space, the surprised teen looked down at the distant assailant. 'Where did he come from? He just appeared!'

Mentally noting the guilds change towards his direction, Naruto stared at his opponent as he slowly flew up into his way. "Well now, I'm a bit surprised you managed to dodge me. How did you know I was there?"

Blinking as Naruto finally got a look at the guy, the blond couldn't help but reply, "More like where did you come from? You weren't there then suddenly bang! You were!"

A small smirk crossed the humanoids face as he finally stopped rising. The reason for the word 'humanoid' was because Naruto couldn't think of him as anything other than a very weird summons. He was tall, exceptionally so, dressed in a set of knee length tights, a short waist-coat that exposed his midriff, a pair of gold bangles around each wrist and a set of trendy black sunglasses covering his eyes. A jetpack of sorts was wrapped around his wide shoulders, the exhaust at the bottom glowing softly as it held him afloat. The rest of his body however was completely covered in a fine white fur, the only part of him not fuzzy being his hoofed feet. His legs were hinged strangely, like he had two sets of knees and while his upper body was relatively normal, the pair of animalistic ears pointing straight up off the top of his head and twin horns protruding from each side of his skull made for a rather interesting set of accessories.

Addressing Naruto in a very deep bass, the creature couldn't help but let a tint of pride worm its way into his voice. "Well, I suppose you can thank a certain aspect of my magic for that. But enough of that. I believe you have something that belongs to my Master. Would you be so kind as to hand them over? I don't really want to fight you if at all possible."

He might have caught him off guard, but with that advantage gone Naruto could easily tell this guy would have no chance against him. That being said though, he was strong enough to cause enough of a delay that Hades would catch up. So shaking his head and raising his hands, the blond gave the odd goat-man a small grin. "Sorry, but I just can't do that. Catch me if you can. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)!**"

Suddenly Naruto disappeared within a plume of smoke and before the Grimoire Heart member could think twice, upwards of twenty identical Naruto's shot from the cloud, past him and into the distance. Not even attempting to grab the various copies, the tall goat-man just watched on detachedly before sighing. "So you don't plan to make this easy. However, I did come prepared."

Stretching his arms out before him, the hybrid focused for a moment before swinging his arms together and letting out a single, loud clap. The abnormally echoing sound carried for a few seconds as bubbles suddenly appeared all around Naruto and his clones. Blinking in surprise at the large pink balls, they all simultaneously popped and before Naruto could blink he was set upon by a wave of Grimoire Heart grunts.

The attack was short, swift and effective as every clone was rapidly dispersed and the original was thumped on the back of the head hard enough to make him see stars. Wavering through the air for a moment, the few men that had attached to his back were dislodged and felt flying away. Blinking the lights away, the blond then watched on in surprise as another clap filled the area and they abruptly vanished.

Righting himself, Naruto looked up at his opponent cautiously as the man once again moved to stand in his way. Frowning agitatedly, Naruto glanced back at the airship. Not too far away now. Gritting his teeth, Naruto pondered what to do. He could try escape again, but that goat guy would just sick his pocket change on him if he tried. Fighting him may have been an option the first time around but now there just wasn't enough time. What else was there… that could work.

Slapping his hands together in the Ram seal for extra focus, Naruto eyeballed his opponent and lashed out his chakra to wrap him up in a veritable bear hug of energy. Letting his body then begin to fall to the ground, Naruto waited as the trees rushed up to greet him. Moments before contact though, the ninja tensed and with a whispered "**Kawarimi (Body Replacement)**", Naruto forcibly snatched the goat-man from the air and replaced him with himself.

Not a second later there was a surprised cry and a painful sounding crunch as the mage disappeared into the foliage. Letting out a grunt of satisfaction, Naruto took one last look up at the guild before shooting away at speed. He had been close enough to catch a look of Hades staring down at him through the glass on top of the airship and he had not looked at all happy.

The wind whipped his hair around his face violently and it felt like hands were trying to rip his clothes off but Naruto just continued to push faster. He needed space to find a suitable hidey hole and also to try and make as much distance between himself and that goat dude. He didn't want to have another sneak attack sprung on him. Taking a quick look at the sun, Naruto angled himself northward towards a large number of mountains. His long arc rapidly covered the distance and before long the teen found himself a suitable cave to hide himself in. Checking to see that the airship was far enough in the distance to not pose a threat, Naruto dropped to the earth and suddenly blanched.

Sticking his tongue out and panting a bit like he'd just copped a mouthful of paint vapour, the blonds' features twisted as he looked further north. "What is that horrible energy?"

It wasn't evil as such, more just extremely… off. The best way to explain it was that it felt like it was trying to warp the nature of everything around it. Shaking his head though, Naruto ignored it. That wasn't his problem, he hadn't come looking for whatever it was and he currently had more than his fair share of issues. So pushing the awkward feeling to the back of his mind, Naruto walked into the cave and abruptly froze. 'Oh hell.'

Slowly extending his hand, Naruto watched as a soft glowing light shone off him in a gold aura that he couldn't help but recognise. Growling angrily, Naruto smashed his fist into the cave wall. "Damn it Kyuubi you said I wouldn't turn yellow!"

Despite really wanting to get onto destroying the keys, such a blatant change to the Kyuubi cloak wasn't something he could just ignore and to make matters worse, he had hardly even noticed its appearance. Growling again, he smacked the wall once more for good measure before dropping to his rump and quickly dipping into his mind.

XxXxXxX

Skidding to a stop before the monster fox, Naruto didn't even let it come to terms with his presence before screaming at it. "What the hell is this you overgrown cuddle toy? You said I wouldn't turn yellow dattebayo!"

Blinking in shock at the fact this insignificant whelp had the audacity to scream abuse at a being such as itself, the Kyuubi spluttered indignantly a moment before letting out a roar that slammed Naruto into the back wall. **_"SHUT YOUR FILTHY FLESH MOUTH HUMAN! I WILL NOT STAND FOR YOU TALKING TO THE KING OF ALL MAYHEM AND DESTRUCTION LIKE THIS!"_**

In a moment of rage, the Kyuubi then flung itself against the cage so violently that the entire room convulsed from the force. Despite this abnormally strong assault on the bars though, the incredible work of the Forth Hokage held firm and unwavering.

This didn't stop Naruto getting tossed to his backside though. Resisting the urge to hold his ringing ears, the defiant ninja jumped to his feet and motioned to his entire body. "What do you call this then or are you just colour blind? Why am I glowing?"

Taking a moment out of its time to inspect the aura around its host, the Kyuubi punched the cage walls. **_"Are you seriously that stupid that you cannot see for yourself that you are not in fact yellow, but that it is my cloak around you?"_**

Indeed noticing this, it didn't stop Naruto assuming the worst and screaming back, "Yeah, first your cloak then me!"

Slapping its palm to its face, Kyuubi groaned in disbelief. **_"And what do you think would happen next, the world will turn yellow? How I was managed to be sealed within such a brain-dead individual is the shame of my existence." _**Unable to remain angry in the face of such pitiful dim-wittedness (in its eyes), the Kyuubi knelt down low and spelt it out for him. **_"Just because I'm turning yellow for some confounded reason does not mean you will. Did you turn red when previously using my chakra? No? Well then what changed?"_**

Not willing to let it go just yet, Naruto pressed on. "But it's different! Even you don't know what what's going on!"

His insistence however really began to test the Kyuubi's patience and red eyes flashed dangerously. **_"How about you trust me on this? I've had just about a lifetimes worth of your whining so if you know what's good for you, you will shut your flap right now."_**

Frowning deeply, the blond stared up into the enraged eyes of his prisoner. Furious it may have been, yet for all of that Naruto couldn't seem to find any form of deceit in its voice. That didn't mean much in the face of a creature that could lie through its teeth, but what it said made sense. Taking a breath, Naruto went to say something but hesitated. Quirking his mouth, the blond eventually just nodded. "Fine. I'll trust you this time."

Staring at the ant sized human, Kyuubi let out a slightly less intimidating growl. **_"Good. Now get out, I cannot stand your presence at the moment."_**

Despite having accepted the fox's word, Naruto was still suspicious so even as he disappeared from view, his eyes locked with giant red ones until they were no more.

XxXxXxX

As soon as his eyes opened, the ninja reached into his pocket and pulled out his scroll. Unsealing the few keys he'd grabbed, he dropped all but one to the floor and looked it over. It was an ethereal purple of different shades, the colours actually moulding through themselves in a never ending motion. Its soft glow mingled with Naruto's own and threw haunting shadows on the walls around him.

As for the actual design, the eye itself in the middle of it almost looked like it was staring at him as he turned it over. There didn't seem to be an off switch or anything like that unfortunately so gripping each end, he pulled.

While its form seemed to stretch a bit, it held solid no matter how much force Naruto put through it. Frowning as he looked it over again, the blond put it on the ground and stood up. Raising a foot, he stamped down on it as hard as he could. While the ground cracked a bit, the actual key remained unbroken. Whistling as he picked it up to inspect it, Naruto had to give it to the creators. "They sure knew how to make something sturdy."

Dropping it again, Naruto lifted his leg but this time charged his foot with chakra. Like his first failed attempts at flying, he brought the limb down and unleashed the force upon the key. This time the ground fissured violently, bolder sized pieces of rock lifting up to fill the relatively small space in the cave. Dust went everywhere and Naruto had to shield his head from falling amounts of rubble.

Flinching as an ominous grumble faded into the depths of the cave, Naruto opened one tentative eye and looked around at the damage. The once pristine hole now looked like it was ready to collapse and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "Probably should have thought that through a bit more."

Still, he turned his gaze to his buried foot and dug down into the dirt. Fishing about, he grimaced as he found a still whole key. Pulling it out, it was looking a bit worse for wear but other than that, not a scratch. "Awww come on!"

Creating a clone, he passed the key over with stern directions to stand still. Holding one hand out, Naruto forced his chakra into a tightly packed ball for his usual **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)**, but this time it turned out a bit differently. Pausing in surprise, both he and the close stared at the bright gold ball shining away brilliantly in his palm.

"It's almost looks like the sun…"

"Yeah…"

The rapid flowing currents of energy were rather hypnotising in this new state so after a moment, Naruto ripped his gaze from his creation and looked up to his still mesmerised clone. It was holding the key out well enough so taking the advantage, Naruto lashed out and buried his attack into the key.

A harsh grinding sound and with a grunt, the blond pushed the attack deeper into the key. It let out a rather deafening scream of pain before with a snap, broke in half and dropped to the floor. Grinning happily, the blond picked it up and inspected the badly scratched halves. "That's more like it. Again?"

Looking to his clone, he watched it pick up another one and grin. "Very good."

Repeating the process, a second key dropped to the ground in fragments moments later. Looking back at the remaining two, Naruto looked down at himself as his clone commented, "With these destroyed, we should be back to normal yeah?"

Checking himself over, Naruto frowned a little. "Well, I'd have expected it to happen a bit faster. If anything I think I'm glowing brighter."

"That's just cause there's two of us here. Anyway, get drilling, Grimoire Heart can't be far away."

"Indeed, we're actually a great deal closer than you'd expect."

Blanching, both Naruto's spun around to face Hades himself as his imposing form filled the exit. Behind him stood six beings of rather intimidating power levels, Ultear and Meredy being among them. Backing up slightly, Naruto created another two gold clones as he neared the keys.

Laughing victoriously, the powerful old man held a hand out. "Come now Naruto, you know just as well as me that cave is a dead end and creating more clones means nothing in this small space. Just hand the keys over and we'll leave you be."

Shaking his head slowly as the two clones picked up the remaining keys, Naruto pointed to the broken ones on the ground. "Sorry, but I broke those two and the other two won't be leaving here today."

His gaze being redirected to the fragments, Hades began puffing up as an absolutely furious expression grew upon his face. Looking back at Naruto, anger filled his eye but he still managed to talk steadily. "Boy… that was a very dumb move. You'd do well to pass over what you have left if you want to live."

"I hand them back over and there's the possibility no one will live through the calamity I'd unleash. That's a chance I will not let stand. NOW!"

Screaming the signal, the three clones suddenly exploded into gold light. Instead of attacking as Hades expected though, they vanished down into the depths of the mountain. "What –"

He was unable to say anymore as the original ninja suddenly bull-rushed him, arms out wide and slamming into the mage with ridiculous force. Air exploded from his lungs as he was driven back but Naruto didn't stop there.

Letting out a yell, he smashed into the six mages standing behind their Master. Caught completely unawares, they were all forced backwards as Naruto's shroud unconsciously expanded outwards to act like a massive plough and drive them all away.

Kicking off the ground, Naruto's foot left a small crater behind as he launched all eight of them off the side of the mountain. All mages let out a scream of surprise as they found themselves airborne. Naruto meanwhile kept a tight hold on Hades as the blond started spinning him around like a giant hammer. Grunting with the effort, he then let go and the Master hurtled off into the distance with a deafening shout of rage.

Looking down at the mages he'd pushed off the cliff, he was unsurprised to see they had managed to survive the fall and were clinging to the rock face via various magical abilities. Hearing a loud whine begin to emanate from within the cave mouth though, Naruto took one last look at them. "You'd really wanna get away from here right about now if you value your lives!"

Turning, the blond then shot up into the air like a rocket. Coming to a halt safely above the mountain, he turned just in time to see the fireworks. An ear piercing whine filled the air for a moment before a ground shaking boom echoed through the earth. The whole mountain groaned as it heaved upwards for a moment before it began collapsing in on itself. Dust and rocks were thrown high into the sky from the power of the attack and Naruto was suddenly hit with the memory of being buried alive.

An ever curling inward plume of dust rose up into the sky threateningly as earthquakes wracked the region. Swallowing nervously as large cracks shot away from the still dissolving mountain, Naruto really began to wonder if a **Rasenshuriken (Spiralling Shuriken)** had been a bit of overkill. Granted he'd wanted to destroy the keys and bury them at the same time, but he hadn't wanted quite this level of destruction. Eventually the grumbling began to quiet down and it was then Naruto remembered Ultear and Meredy being so close to it. "Crap!"

Shooting back down, the blond frantically zipped across the surface of the uprooted environment for any signs of life. Stretching out his senses, he came across a pair of hugging individuals huddled within a hollow block of ice. Landing near it, he punched it heavily and splinters of cold crystals went everywhere. Punching it a second time, he knocked a hole clean through the side and stuck his head in. "Hey, you guys in there ok?"

SMACK

The blow sent him reeling and he regained his mind just in time to dodge the next and jump into the air for safety. Below him was Meredy staring up at him in absolutely unbridled rage, her cape torn, face scratched, but otherwise unhurt.

Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fists before screaming at him, "How dare you do that! Not only did you nearly kill all of us, but you have just destroyed Ultear's dreams!"

Looking over into the hole, the teen spotted Ultear glaring at her fists as they trembled uncontrollably. Frowning, Naruto looked back to Meredy. "But she is ok?"

Picking up a rock, she launched it at him. "What the hell do you think?"

Catching it, the blond let it drop as he stared at Ultear. He could understand her pain but if he'd let them continue gathering the keys, it would have spelt death for millions. Unconsciously catching another rock thrown at his head, he glanced back down at Meredy as she began throwing bigger and bigger objects. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you for what you've done to Ultear!"

"Meredy, enough."

Pausing mid throw, the pink haired girl turned hesitantly back to face her surrogate mother. "But… he broke them…"

Angry eyes flashed as the woman stood up. "That's not the worry."

Her deadly gaze flicked up to Naruto. Recognising the emotional fury of a woman, he held his hands up and tried to talk to her. "Ok, you may wanna calm down before you attack. Think this over clearly."

Raising her hand, a perfect crystal appeared in the rain haired girl's hand and she grinned at him viciously. "What's to think over? While I'm angry you broke the keys, more importantly you nearly killed us! I think I've thought this over enough."

The ball then shot at Naruto's head with deadly aim. Catching it almost lazily, Naruto fixed her with a glare and held it tight. "I've already told you why I was doing this! And as for 'almost killing you', you wouldn't be worth your spot as one of the strongest mages in Grimoire if it could! Besides, I came to check on you didn't I?"

Feeling the orb try tug free from his grip, Naruto sunk his fingers into its otherwise unblemished surface. "Not this time you don't."

Raising one eyebrow, Ultear let a small smirk cross her lips. "That wasn't the main reason I tried to hit you."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked in confusion before an extremely dangerous signal exploded into life in his brain. Only just managing to dive back in time to somewhat cushion the blow, Naruto found himself propelled away in an explosion of air and spittle as Master Hades unleashed an absolutely devastating blow to his side.

Growling angrily as he watched the blond rocket away, Hades turned to Ultear. "You know what to do. Make sure they're repaired by the time I'm done with this thorn in my side."

Nodding, the woman turned to the mountain and held her hands out, eyes closed in concentration. His attention then turned to Meredy and while his fury wasn't directed at her, she still flinched under the gaze. "You go and tell everyone else to get the ship and follow me. This time it's _my_ turn."

Swallowing, the pink haired girl nodded once before taking off to find her fellow mages. With that sorted, Hades turned his attention back to the rising dust cloud from where Naruto landed. Narrowing his eyes, the mage then let out a small growl and vanished with a small puff of dirt.

XxXxXxX

Landing in a roll, the multicoloured wrecking ball barrelled its way through several trees before finally coming to a halt against a sturdy rock. Letting out a cough, the ball unfolded to reveal a scratched and bruised Naruto. Falling from the rock face, he crumpled to the ground and let out a groan. Damn that old guy hit hard.

Pulling himself up, the blond ran a clawed hand over his face as the minor cuts welded back together. Looking back the way he came, he let out a curse as he saw the mountain he'd destroyed rebuilding itself very slowly. Small tremors shuddering through the earth indicated that those crevices were healing too and Naruto could only put it down to one thing. "Ultear. Damn that ability!"

Still, despite his frustration, Naruto was surprised to notice he wasn't as heated as he'd expected. Usually with the cloak came irrational anger, but for some reason this time around it wasn't as overbearing as usual. Actually… thinking back, he couldn't even remember the onset of the cloak. Looking back down at his glowing form, he opened and closed his hands several times as he considered the options. Funnily enough, the only thing he could put it down to was the colour change. Nothing else had really happened so that was the only current alternative.

That was worth thinking about later though as his current problem had just flickered into view before him. Imposing as ever, the massive mage stared down at him with a deceptively calm face. Naruto knew otherwise though as the dark aura surrounding him was giving off nothing but deadly intent. "You know, had you not been such an absolute hindrance to us I may have considered letting you live. Unfortunately for you though, the chances that you'll come back and retake the keys are too high. Not to mention you have thoroughly pissed me off."

Sinking down into a defensive position, Naruto made sure to track every twitch of a muscle. "You still don't seem to get that I just wanna keep everyone safe."

Raising one eyebrow high, the mage crossed his arms impassively. "And _you_ don't seem to understand that those keys have no impact on this monster in you."

Blinking, Naruto's eyes widened. Wasn't it he who wanted to see the Kyuubi extracted? It sure was what the blond remembered. Seeing his confusion, Hades couldn't help but elaborate. "To explain since you clearly can't comprehend it yourself, it wasn't the keys for a few pivotal reasons. Firstly, they are broken, yet you still seem to be encased in this… thing. Colour change regardless." Hades glared at Naruto when he saw the blond attempt to respond. "Secondly, you'd have thought that with close proximity to such power, you would have increased in this transformation faster. Thirdly, despite us having gathered no more keys, you still seem to be accelerating in this transformation. Fourthly, this is apparently only a recent occurrence for you if the hurriedness of your actions is anything to go by, yet we have been after the keys for much longer than a few days. I can go on if you so wish?"

He didn't have to as with each point, Naruto's heart sunk. If this really was the case, then he still had absolutely no idea what was causing this and he was back to square one. As much as he didn't want to believe what Hades said, they were all valid points and no matter what he seemed to come up with, nothing could disprove this. So that meant, if it was true all this had been nothing but a wild goose chase…

"Unfortunately for you, with your quest to destroy something irrelevant to yourself has cost me much time and effort. You have also established yourself as a significant future threat and as such, I cannot risk you coming back to harass us. Goodbye, Uzumaki Naruto."

Holding one hand out, he rolled in his ring and little finger leaving his index and middle finger pointed directly at the blond with his thumb pointed straight up into the air. A tiny pinpoint of purple magic rapidly gathered at the point of his fingers before it was unleashed at Naruto.

The blinding speed of it was so impossibly quick that Naruto didn't have the time to react and all he could do was widen his eyes in pain as he felt the bullet shoot straight through his shoulder. Hissing in pain, he clutched the wound as he felt it begin to heal over. Looking back up at the Master, he saw more power gathering at his fingertips and his eyes flash. A rapid succession of bullets was then fired off and Naruto gasped as blood squirted from multiple holes peppered across him.

Narrowing his visible eye, Hades scrutinised Naruto as he shuddered there for a moment. His form then went up in a cloud of smoke and all that remained was a destroyed lump of wood. 'Curse that trick of his.'

Looking around, he tried to spot the distinctive gold hair and aura. Catching a flash of it in the corner of his eye, the tall mage spun around and lashed out. Chains topped with razor sharp hooks shot out and latched onto the form, dragging his body back into view rapidly. Squirming as the agonizing claws dug deep into his flesh, Naruto anchored himself to the ground with chakra and pulled against the Master. "Damn it… this hurts dattebayo!"

Giving another tug, Naruto let out a cry and Hades grinned. "You won't last long against this my boy. Just roll over and die for me now like a good dog."

Hauling on the magic chains, Hades managed to break Naruto's concentration on his feet and reeled the teen in towards an awaiting fist. Peeking out of one pain clenched eye, Naruto saw the incoming attack and raised his arms in defence. The punch connected with devastating brutality and the claws were forcibly ripped from Naruto's body as he was sent flying back.

Hitting the ground again, the ninja winced and pulled himself to a stop as quickly as possible. Checking himself over, the blond came to realise there was no actual damage on him. Frowning, he could only suspect it was something like Meredy's pain arrows or whatever she called them. Still, if Hades wanted a fight then that's what he was going to get.

Scowling angrily, Naruto raised the ram seal and stepped up against the trunk of a tree. Chakra flowed through him and in an instant he vanished from sight as the invisibility technique took hold.

He was a ninja. He specialised in sneak attacks and fighting from the shadows. To top it all off he was out running the elite of his village back when he was just a child. It didn't matter if Hades was equal to him in strength, he'd never come across someone like Naruto and the blond was about to use that advantage.

The mage came stomping through the trees confidently, not even trying to conceal his presence as Naruto silently edged his way around behind him, splitting off clones as he did so. The first thing he had to try and do was immobilise Hades since any attack would just have him jumping about even more. Raising a kunai, Naruto aimed it like a dart before flicking it across the path of Hades. A little bit of spin on it helped it bury into a tree trunk and Naruto tugged the ninja wire attached to the hole at the end of the knife experimentally. Feeling it hold, Naruto let it go slack. Quickly tying a rock to the other end of it, Naruto pinched the string and waited for the old man to step over it

Counting the steps, Naruto waited until one leg was on either side of the slack wire before he pulled it tight. Hades back foot caught the wire and the mage let out a grunt of surprise as he just managed to catch his balance. As Hades pulled his back foot forward to try and regain his balance, Naruto let the force of the leg swing the weight the ninja had tied to the other end of the string around like a pendulum.

The result of this was the wire to swing out around Hades feet, orbit his legs and securely fasten them together. Eyes widening as the mage pin wheeled his arms to try and keep his balance, Naruto then dashed forward and took the moment of unbalance to kick Hades fair in the stomach and send him shooting back through the air. The wire attached to his legs pulled tight and just before the thread could cut his feet off, Naruto swiped a kunai though it.

Soaring back, the mage crashed into a web of threads set up by the clones and Hades found his arms rapidly strapped to his sides as the wires slung around him and tied him up securely. A crowd of Naruto's then took advantage of his flight and unleashed a wave of ferocious attacks to Hades' body as he neared the ground.

Hitting the ground with a crunch, the mage let out a hacking cough as he slid to a stop by a tree. Several more rounds of wire quickly bound him to the tree and as the mage finally was allowed a moment to catch his breath. Breathing deeply, Hades then saw Naruto's gold glow phase into sight as he walked toward the man. Piercing gold eyes stared down at the mage as the blond began to speak. "So what do you wanna do now? I have more pressing matters to deal with than you so I can just leave you here and we part ways. Or, you can try again and I kick your ass about some more until you can't move permanently."

Looking up at the blond unamusedly, Hades tested the wire against his skin as he replied. "You honestly think we won't hunt you down and find you for what you have done here? No matter where you run and hide, we will come for you."

Cracking his knuckles, Naruto shrugged and glared down challengingly. "If you really wanna do this we can, though I can promise it will be painful."

Chuckling, the old mage looked off to the side. "Ah, but I'm not the only one who wants you gone. When I said we, I mean _we._"

Time suddenly seemed to slow down as Naruto's head turned over to look the same way Hades was. The air near his face seemed to be rippling, condensing and glowing as a heat began to wash across him. Only just managing to get his arms up, the airborne bomb went off with a thunderous bang and sent Naruto shooting into the air. That didn't seem to be the end of it however as explosion after explosion sent him higher with each successive blast. Eventually it came to a finish and Naruto, disoriented and concussed as could be, found himself falling back to earth. Struggling to get his arms and legs beneath him, the blond landed in a haphazard pile and stifled a hiss as his ankle twisted awkwardly beneath him.

Rolling over and clutching the injured limb, Naruto didn't even have time to detect a massive claw like hand swipe in and snatch him up in a vice grip. Gritting his teeth as he was lifted into the air, Naruto squinted down at two men standing below him, one of which owning the massive arm currently holding him up in the air.

"Oh my, this trashy blond honestly had the gall to try and tie up _our_ Master like that? I cannot even begin to fathom the foolishness of such an attempt; did you really think such a tacky tactic like that would even hope to hold him for more than a few seconds at the very least?"

The flamboyant, over dramatised voice reached Naruto's ears and craning his neck forward, Naruto got a closer look at the man speaking.

He was a tall and relatively lanky fellow with a very well kept silver pompadour for a hair style. A pair of blue-tinted glasses sat on his nose and his almost feminine mouth held a smirk as his narrow eyes stared up at his prisoner. A blue waistcoat with a popped collar covered most of his body, the front left hanging open to reveal a beige coloured shirt and dark trousers. The most interesting part of his body though had to be the enormous black arm that stretched out from his shoulder. Naruto could feel the claws of it digging into his skin and from the texture of the organic cage, he guessed it to be made up of rock hard scales.

"Indeed. This little boy seems nothing like what the Master described. To have been caught so easily by my **Chain Burst** and then by you? It's actually rather pathetic when you think about it. Maybe the Master is getting soft."

This deeply tanned man looked a bit more normal than his companion as all his limbs were human. His piercing brown eyes glared up at Naruto emotionlessly, his strong, stony face belaying nothing of what he was thinking. Thick cords of earth brown hair stuck up in clumps from his skull, only one of the confetti like strands obeying gravity and hanging over his face. Side burns ran the length of his face, meeting with a tri pronged goatee that hung down to his neck line. A forest green chest plate and shoulder pads trimmed with hollow tubes protected his torso from harm while the rest of his body was clothed in a vibrant orange shirt and pants. About midway down each limb was a green tourniquet that effectively sealed off the upper half of his clothing. Finishing off the look was a brown belt strapped securely around his waist to support the chest plate.

Glancing up at Naruto, he spoke again in a deep baritone. "So boy, why did you decide to attack us when you knew the result was death?"

Wincing as the fist around him gave an experimental squeeze, Naruto glared down at them. "For reasons some meat heads like you don't need to know. If you don't wanna get hurt, you better be putting me down and let me go on my merry way."

Laughing gaily, the man holding him flung his free hand out extravagantly. "_You_ won't hurt _us_? Please, you have a better chance of being saved by your little guild members than you do of hurting us. Some pathetic trash like you caught up in my **Beast Fist** has no chance. Though I must thank you for the entertainment factor. This will be fantastic comedy for discussion over dinner!"

Laughing loudly again, Naruto felt the anger the **Kyuubi Cloak** gifted him burning within his stomach, but this time it was a more focused, cold fury than the previously animalistic rage. His lips pulled taught and the gold aura around his form flared as he drew on the power within him.

"Honestly Azuma, this little baby couldn't even… what?"

His brow furrowed in confusion as the flashy man looked up at Naruto. His muscles began tensing as a force within his fist began pushing outwards, rapidly growing in strength and threatening to overwhelm his grip.

Raising an eyebrow, the now named Azuma glanced from Naruto back to his partner as he began sweating. "Rustyrose? What's he doing?"

Gritting his teeth, Rustyrose grinned. "Nothing I can't handle."

Holding his free arm out, it suddenly contorted painfully as it rapidly grew in size and shape until it was a perfect replica of the other fist. Clamping down around Naruto, he used both hands to try and squeeze the growling blond to a paste but found even both hands were unable to do so.

Chuckling as his partner struggled, Azuma's eyes flashed excitedly as he watched Naruto fight for freedom. "Well now, perhaps Master Hades wasn't exaggerating after all. Maybe he'll be worthy to fight me!"

Teeth bared as he pushed out of the hands, Naruto glared down at the dark mage. "You're not worthy to even get kicked about by me! NOW!"

Howling the signal into the air, both mages were caught unawares by an entire group of clones as they suddenly swamped them. Azuma found himself beaten deep down into the earth with a barrage of hammer fists while Rustyrose screamed in pain as a **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)** was driven home into the middle of his back. The fists encasing Naruto seemed to waver uncertainly for a moment before they abruptly vanished into the air much like a mirage. Dropping only a few feet, Naruto caught himself in the air and watched with smug satisfaction as the glitzy man was sent hurling into the trunk of a thick tree.

The whole organism shook from the impact and the mage slid to the ground without so much as a twitch.

"Walk that off."

Turning his attention over to Azuma, he was pleased to find he had been driven into the earth right down to his neck. His face was looking a bit worse for wear as that was the main driving point all his clones had used to clobber him down. Blood and spit was oozing from his nose and mouth while brilliant purple bruises were blossoming into life all over his face. Surprisingly though, the mage was still conscious and aware enough to look up at Naruto unwaveringly. "That was quite the jump you got on us. I hadn't expected you to have so many **Thought Projections **about."

Floating down to hover just before his face, Naruto shrugged. "You never know when you may need them."

Turning, the ninja then took to the sky and looked around. "Now, to get back to Ultear and get those keys before she does…"

Before he could move though, a tree branch suddenly exploded out from his chest. Glaring down at it disbelievingly, the blond raised shaky hands to grasp the thing as a cough sent blood showering all over it. "W… wha…?"

Turning painfully, he looked down at Azuma and saw the mage had managed to pull half of his body from the ground. One arm was outstretched towards him, apparently having guided the tree branch to its mark. The man was grinning victoriously and his eyes flashed as Naruto let out another wracking cough. "I'd have thought a mage of your calibre would have known to never turn his back on an opponent."

"I didn't."

Blinking in surprise, Azuma twisted his head around just in time to watch the foot connect solidly with his face. Following through like he was kicking a ball, Naruto's brutal hit ripped Azuma from the ground and sent him flying across the clearing to land in a bloodied mess. Frowning as the mage didn't move again, Naruto turned his attention to the clone on the branch as it popped. "No, I was finding out what magic you used. I'm glad I found out too. That could have been a nasty surprise."

Yet another pair of clones then emerged from the bushes and grabbed the unconscious mages. Smirking to himself, Naruto nodded at the incredibly useful technique. 'Oh **Kage Bunshin**, what would my life be without you?"

Leaving them to tie up the duo, Naruto turned his gaze back over to the mountain and was pleasantly surprised to see it had stopped in its reconstruction. 'It must be taking her a crazy amount of magic to fix that. Good, that means more time for me.'

Jumping into the air, Naruto was just about to shoot off when a sudden blast of magical energy just barely missed grazing his nose. Crying out in surprise, the blond dropped back to the ground and twirled around to see Hades smirking in satisfaction, arm out stretched. "Now, now little one. We can't have you trying to get back just yet."

Growling in frustration, Naruto raised his fists. "Damn it, you are one persistent old fart, you know that?"

Lowering his arm, the mage shrugged. "I've been called worse." His attention then turned to the two unconscious members of his guild. "You really didn't waste time on them did you? I told them to be careful."

A twitch pulled at Naruto's lip. "It'd take more than those two to take me out. Anyway…" Picking up a fair sized rock, Naruto threw it up into the air a few times to gauge its weight. "No more time to play. I'll be leaving now."

Rearing his arm back, he chucked it into the sky as far as he could manage. The old man frowned in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened in realisation.

"Catch you later old fart."

Diving at Naruto, Hades' fingers just brushed the teen's clothing as he went up in smoke and a stone smacked him on the head.

XxXxXxX

Reappearing in the stone's flight, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief at the successful **Kawarimi**. He hadn't been sure if he could make the switch from that distance, but it seemed like luck had been on his side. That being done, it was now time to get back to Ultear.

His whole body seemed to waver a moment as energy built up around him before it exploded out behind him and jetted the blond rocket towards the mountain.

Keen eyes scoured the ground as Ultear was searched for, the teen resolutely promising himself she wouldn't get away. Just as he grew close to where he thought she could be though, Naruto had to heave upwards to avoid the sudden body that appeared before him. Squeaking in surprise, the blond instantly recognised the goat-guy from before.

"We meet again, Uzumaki. Quite the stunt you pulled upon our last encounter, I must say I nearly crashed."

Snarling, the ninja swiped the air with his hand. "You people just don't stop do you? Get out of my way!"

Adjusting his glasses with one finger, the man smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry but I can't do that. And to make sure I have brought a friend. Kain!"

Clapping his hands once, a ball appeared in the air and it exploded to reveal that massively obese man he saw running down the main corridor of the airship. Though… squinting uncertainly, Naruto looked him over. Had he always had such a cotton-y texture? And since when was he so light? He was floating!

Blinking uncertainly, the big man looked around. "S-so what did you want me to do Zoldeo?"

Crossing his arms, the large hybrid sighed. "Exactly what we discussed. Look for it."

"R-right!"

Kain then began looking around in the air and Naruto couldn't help but just watch on in confusion. First they appear out of nowhere and now they were looking for something? Who knew what they wanted, so with a shake of his head Naruto refocused.

"Ah – ha!"

Ignoring the cry of success, Naruto jetted upwards before levelling out and shooting over the top of the two strange mages.

Without a single moment of warning though, Naruto suddenly froze. His entire body locked down and his muscles refused to move for some unknown reason. Before he could start freefalling however, his arms and legs adjusted themselves under him to keep him afloat, albeit quite unsteadily. Managing to look over his shoulder, he spotted Zoldeo smirking successfully and Kain supporting himself on the goat-man's shoulder, he too looking quite pleased with whatever just happened. Growling, Naruto tried to move but found himself quite locked in place. "What did you bastards do to me?"

Chuckling, Zoldeo looked to his companion. "You can tell him if you wish?"

It seemed the big man quite liked the opportunity to speak so jumped at it. "W-well, you see it's my voodoo magic!"

He then proceeded to hold up a small, featureless doll with a single gold thread poking out of the top of its head. Naruto didn't even have to wonder what it was as he started explaining. "So, Zoldeo here came up with the plan that he startles you o–ok? The jolt was m–meant to knock a hair free, which it did, a-and then all I had to do was find it, g-grab it and freeze you in place! How genius is that?"

Eyes widening as it was revealed, Naruto would have shook his head if able. 'These mages seem to be able to do anything!'

Nodding, Zoldeo carried it on. "We knew we had no chance of beating you in a fight, so we had to strategise. In any case, that was just the first half of it. Now, welcome to the second half of the plan."

"Huh?"

Hearing an ominous groan before him, Naruto turned his attention to the front and found the Grimoire Heart ship seemingly floating through a warp hole into visibility. As the cloaking mechanism disabled, Naruto found to his increasing worry that the groaning was actually gears working within the hull of the ship to pull a humongous gun out.

Locking into place, the thing stood out over the bow of the ship with the muzzle pointed directly at him. A purple glow began to gather at its tip and it was then Naruto realised exactly what was going on.

Chakra instantly flooded his system and the blond grit his teeth as he desperately tried to break free of the voodoo. The sky around him seemed to light up gold as more and more of the Kyuubi's chakra poured into his muscles. His now extremely acute hearing also managed to pick up Kain's gasp of, "H-he's breaking through it!" and gave him extra motivation to break through the spell.

'Not fast enough though!' Straining even further, sweat began rolling down his forehead and cheeks as the menacing purple ball began to grow in size. 'Come on, come on, come on, come on, COME ON!'

Battling it out in a death race, Naruto's eyes began flicking from the ball, to himself and back again. He was nearly there… oh, he was so close!

And then with a resounding 'BOOM', the cannon fired just as Naruto exploded through the magic cast on him.

But it was too late and desperately lifting his arms, the blond only just managed to raise a meagre defence as the purple beam smashed into his form and exploded violently.

The entire area was bathed in an ethereal light and a single, feminine voice screaming in horror was the only thing just audible over the deafening bang as a blackened, smoky ball was shot into the distance.

XxXxXxX

'Warm…'

Lying still, Naruto found himself coming to after what felt like the most vivid dream of his life. It seemed to involve some crazy fight with persistent opponents along with some super cannon that blasted him into oblivion. Still, the details were sketchy and he wasn't out to remember exactly what happened right now as his mind was encapsulated by pure bliss.

His whole body felt fantastic and had he had the motivation, he expected he'd have an all out tsunami of energy. That didn't matter though as the level of comfort he was experiencing right now was just splendid. Breathing deeply, a smile pulled at his lips and the blond slowly opened an eyelid.

Instead of awaking to a bedroom like he expected, what he got was a good view of the tree tops and a strange aqua light glowing over him.

"He's waking up!"

'I know that voice…' Turning his head, the blond found himself staring at the feet of his fellow guild members Natsu and Lucy. There were a few other legs he didn't recognise but that didn't really matter. Looking up a bit further, he almost copped a look up the blonds' ridiculously short skirt before both she and Natsu dropped to their knees beside his head.

"Oh thank goodness you're safe! You just came flying in out of nowhere all burnt and badly hurt!"

As Lucy's eyebrows quivered in relief, Natsu's smiling face filled his vision as the fiery teen stared into his eyes. "Yeah, you looked really beaten up! What happened to you? You're really lucky Wendy was here to heal you!"

"Wendy?" Trying to process things as best he could, Naruto looked to his other side and found a small girl barely twelve years old sitting over him, arms out stretched and breathing deeply in effort.

Her waist length, blue hair framed her youthful face pleasantly the dirt and sweat not doing much to cover up her pale skin. A simple blue and yellow striped dress hung down from her shoulders and attached to her upper arms were a pair of bands with little wings sticking off them.

Her weary brown eyes looked to him and she managed a small smile. "He-hello! You'll be ok, just let me finish…"

She didn't get to finish whatever it was as the girl's eyes glazed over and she slumped to the ground.

"Wendy!"

Dashing to her side, Lucy dotted over her fretfully as Natsu raised a curious eyebrow. "What happened to her?"

"I'll tell you what you buffoon. You worked poor Wendy so hard that she collapsed from exhaustion. I hope you know I completely hold you all accountable for this. You're lucky she will be fine after a bit of rest."

Hearing a very uppity, well spoken female voice, Naruto looked to his feet and saw a short white cat dressed in a yellow long sleeved top and magenta skirt. The sleeves were trimmed with magenta tassels that coincided with a medium sized bow tied around her neck. A long white tail floated up into the air behind her and that too had a largish pink bow tied around it. Finishing it all off was a small canine tooth protruding over her lower lip that seemed to further her look of disapproval.

Her judgmental glare seemed to encompass all of them and she snorted as Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Don't think you are immune from this boy, your injuries are the reason she had to expel so much magic. You should be ashamed!"

Groaning softly as he pulled himself upright, Naruto tried to make heads and tails of the situation. "Hold up a second there Snaggletooth, I gotta work out everything." Ignoring the righteous fury of the small cat, the blond looked up to Natsu. "So what's going on?"

A frown crossed the normally vibrant teens face and he leant back. "We're here because of this dark guild we're fighting, Oracion Seis. They're trying to revive some dark magic and we're gonna stop them."

Nodding slowly, Naruto processed the information. That would explain that weird feeling he had when he…

Jumping to his feet, eyes wide, Naruto snarled angrily as he glared down at a shocked Natsu. "What way did I fly in from? Tell me quick, I don't have much time to waste!"

"Uh, that way?" Finger pointing off behind him, Naruto nearly jumped into the air but was stopped a moment earlier by Lucy grabbing his shirt. "Wait, what's happening Naruto? What's wrong?"

Taking a breath, the blond calmed himself enough to get out, "I really don't have the time so when I see you next I'll explain! Tell Wendy I say thanks and stay safe!"

The ground then crunched beneath his feet as Naruto shot off the ground and into the air.

"Damn I hope you're all still there! You won't get away with this!"

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Before I get any complaints about it, I will say the reason Naruto was so badly hurt by the attack was because he was mostly unprepared. Kain had him locked down right up until the last millisecond and even someone like Naruto has limits. So please don't tell me it's unfair he lost because if it was anyone else, they'd have been vaporised._

_I was tempted to finish up where Naruto got hit by the cannon but decided that was way too cruel. It might be a bit shorter too but I had to get something out to you all, it's been too long. A number of things managed to stall its release but I won't bother you with the details. However, money of any form would be lovely because I got bills coming out my ears after said events._

_I'd also like to shout out this awesome story I found during my absence. A NarutoxFairyTail crossover with a darker, more battle weary version of Naruto. I won't give any details away, but it's well worth the read if you can take a bit of justified OOC and angst._

_The story is 'La Tormenta' by 'Jiraiya's Dream'. A damn good effort for a first story too._

_On another note, as of last chapter I broke 1'000'000 story views! Milestone much? Thanks everyone for looking, even if you didn't review! ^_^_

_Until next time._

_Lanky Nathan_


	33. Chapter 33

Desperately speeding towards the now repaired mountain, the blond teen almost clawed through the air to try and make himself go faster. His tattered clothes were more holes than fabric, but thankfully his block had managed to spare a few pockets in his pants, namely the one that held his scroll.

Breathing deeply as he rounded the mountain, Naruto spotted a large group situated in an artificial clearing. Cutting his chakra, he dropped abruptly to the ground and landed heavily. Grunting in effort, the ninja winced as he took a few deep breaths. Now that the adrenalin was starting to wear off, he was feeling _really_ tired. That wasn't enough to deter him though so with a huff he started dashing through the trees.

Nearing a clamour, Naruto let himself slow down into a light jog. Coming up behind a fairly wide tree, he flattened himself up against it and wiped the sweat from his brow. Hearing the deeper voice of Hades over the general noise, Naruto's lips thinned and he crept around a bit to try and see the mage. "Keep your eyes open. I don't want any more interruptions like before. Meredy!"

Finally moving far enough around to see them, Naruto surveyed the area. Guards spotted the perimeter, some standing, others sitting on the various stumps that covered the clearing but all highly attentive. Mingling between them was three of those powerful mages he had to fight earlier; the fat one with that thick black matt of unwashed hair, the goat-man and that poncy one who could transform his arms; Rustyrose if Naruto remembered correctly. The blond couldn't help the smirk when he saw how stiffly that last guy was moving about though. It was actually surprising he was even able to stand after catching a **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere)** to the middle of his back. Grimoire Heart must have had some good medics in their ranks. A rustle over the other side of the clearing then caught his attention and he watched as the afore mentioned girl ran over. "Yes, sir?"

"How is the retrieval of the keys progressing?"

Frowning and glancing off to the side, Meredy hesitated a moment. "Well… Ultear seemed to be having a hard time repairing the ones deep in the cave for some reason. From what she told me, I think that attack Uzumaki unleashed on them somehow broke them down into their individual atoms." Her voice hissed angrily at the mention of Naruto's name and the blond could see her fists shaking in irritation. "She said it could still take quite a bit of time. Good riddance to him."

Grunting, Hades dismissed her with a wave. "No matter, just tell her to get on with the job. We must get those keys back."

Nodding, the girl bowed slightly before running off into the trees and disappearing from sight. Letting out a breath, Naruto wrinkled his nose. They were a persistent bunch. Hades' focus on the keys though was a good thing as even if he demanded security, his attention was elsewhere and the rest of the Grimoire Heart possie wasn't as hard to sneak past. From here though, Naruto needed a plan. He was low on energy as it was and another fight was the last thing he desired. So it was more a question of how he could get the keys back without anyone noticing.

Closing his eyes, the weary blond allowed himself a moment to rest. The knowledge Ultear was struggling with reconstructing those keys was a welcome chance to recoup somewhat and plan a bit more. Naruto jumped though as a tremor suddenly passed through the ground under him as moments later a deep rumble echoed throughout the expanse, birds screaming incessantly as they were disturbed from their roosts.

Peeking around the tree, Naruto looked in the direction of the noise and saw a massive, slowly heaving lump of earth in what looked like writhing pain beginning to stand up over the trees.

"Ultear."

Frowning, the ninja lowered himself and began slinking towards the growing mountain. Looks like he'd have to work out a way to get the keys on foot.

Sadly the trip there was hampered by Grimoire Heart grunts combing the land. Despite not having any trouble avoiding them, it was like trying to not step on any ants in the middle of their nest so reaching his destination was somewhat time consuming. By the time Naruto did make it, the mountain was half formed and with every heave grew a little taller. It was one crazy ability Ultear had, that much Naruto had to admit.

Still, how to get the keys hidden away inside, that's the million ryo question. There was no way of just running up the side without being seen and besides, the blond would probably get kicked off whenever the mountain gave a shudder. A shadow passing over him had the blond scrambling for shelter as the goat humanoid passed overhead. Growling in frustration, Naruto ticked off even considering flying up there.

Crouching here wasn't doing anything though so keeping low to the ground, Naruto began circumventing the mountain base. It took longer than he would have liked but eventually Ultear came into view, her eyes closed in stressful focus, her toned arms palm out towards the mountain. Meredy stood protectively close as expected, the stoic teen looking even more dangerous than usual. Her deadly glare was even pinned on a grunt that wandered too close for her liking.

He wasn't expecting to be able to snatch the woman away, but Naruto was still a little disappointed it couldn't be that easy. Fatigue was really starting to wear on him and he didn't know how much he had left in him.

A shadow passed overhead again and Naruto pulled himself in a bit closer to the trees hiding his position as the goat flew over again. Eyes surveyed the land once more as the airborne mage stopped above the duo Naruto was currently stalking. A barely perceivable nod confirmed he saw nothing suspicious as he dropped down over the girl.

He then had to hold his hands up quickly as Meredy instantly materialised a sword in preparation to attack. "No need to be so hasty young one. It's just me."

Her predatory glare didn't soften as she straightened up. "Do not sneak up on us again Zoldeo. I will not hesitate to strike."

"Even though you already knew I was there?" The large humanoid raised an eyebrow as the sword disappeared. Meredy looked at him evenly, her voice betraying no emotion. "Perhaps, but I will take no threats from anyone, even members of the guild. Have you found anything yet?"

Zoldeo shook his head. "There has been no sight of any intruders, though I would not put it past this Uzumaki fellow to somehow be within earshot of us. His tenacity is somewhat… frustrating."

Meredy took a moment to steady herself as the ground shook again, several stones shooting past her as they were summoned back to the main structure. "Do not underestimate him. You were already outsmarted by him once."

The barest of twitches betrayed Zoldeo's displeasure at the jab. "That mistake will not be made again. I trust you will be able to handle yourself too?"

Breaking eye contact, Meredy began looking over the landscape, effectively finishing the conversation. "He will not survive should we meet."

Grunting, the massive humanoid rose into the air and continued on his way.

During all this, Naruto continued to try come up with a plan as to how he'd reach the cave that had begun to form on the top of the still growing mountain. He had a bit of an idea as to what he could do, but it was going to hurt. He didn't really want to inflict anymore pain on himself for today but time was running out and there weren't too many other options.

The ground lurched again and the blond dodged a few more rocks that shot past him. Bringing his fingers together, he created a clone and sighed. Donning the ram seal, the original suddenly went up in a puff of smoke; the clone waving away any of the cloud that came near it.

In Naruto's place lay a small stone which the clone picked up and flicked it in the air a few times, gauging its weight. Finding a good hold, it then waited.

It didn't take long for the ground to heave again and anchoring itself to the floor, the clone charged its arm with chakra as keen eyes gauged the distance to the cave. Feeling the kiss of a stone as it shot past its whiskered cheek, the clone reared back and grunted as it pegged the Naruto-turned-stone into the air at a blistering pace. Watching the throw for a moment, the clone then dispelled itself, job done.

Hurtling through the air, Naruto watched as the cliff face rapidly approached him. Bracing, the stone collided with a large crunch and a groan of pain. Wincing inside his transformation, Naruto took a moment to breathe before gauging his surroundings.

The throw wasn't too bad, he was only a short leap from the entrance. Waiting until Zoldeo passed by again, Naruto steadied himself. From a third person's perspective, a rock suddenly flung itself across a small gap to land in the cave entrance before rolling inside it.

Once hidden from view, Naruto dispelled the technique and placed a hand on the wall to steady himself. The inside of the cave was churning and writhing slowly, much like how he remembered being inside the frog's intestine that time Itachi and Kisame attacked him as a kid. It was disturbing. Still, the blond began moving into the cave, searching out the keys.

The light within the cave was consistently moving as the walls grew and shrank with the mighty power conducting their reconstruction. Several times Naruto nearly toppled over as the earth bucked and a few more times than that he had to dive out of the way of falling rocks. Frowning as he looked around, Naruto tried to spot anything unusual. "Come on, where are you? Ultear should have started reconstructing them by now."

Crouching, he lent a hand against the wall to steady himself as he waited. Rocks were falling less frequently and the churning of the cave was gradually easing. Keen eyes surveyed the area as things shifted unnaturally. The rest this was giving him was well received too as Naruto wasn't sure how he was going to escape after this.

As things continued to calm down, a soft purple light finally began to appear in the peripherals of Naruto's vision. Looking directly at it made it vanish, but the soft light was definitely beginning to reappear. Grinning, Naruto stood up. It was nearly time to get out of here.

The keys themselves started appearing from the edges in as tiny dots of light began pulling in from the walls and wherever else their molecules had been obliterated to. As they slowly became more whole, Naruto grabbed a few pieces of them and stuffed them into one of the few pockets that remained in his pants.

Grabbing the whole key would just make them realise he'd pinched them again. Grabbing a piece should hopefully make them think reconstruction hadn't worked properly. That would probably create quite a bit of hell for Ultear but at this point Naruto wasn't too bothered by that.

The cave gave a smaller heave and almost sighed as the walls began to still. Realising his time was very close to being up, Naruto tightened the ragged ends of his forehead protector and jogged to the entrance of the cave. Flattening himself up against the wall, his keen blue eyes peered out into the light.

Making sure no flying mages were around, the blond then peered over the edge. Far below stood Ultear, hands still outstretched as she finished her work. Meredy however was absent from her post. That made Naruto pause for a moment. That girl wouldn't have moved for anyone. The possibility she had left to announce the completion of the mountain was probable, but that would be pretty plain to anyone within one hundred clicks of the place. That put a bit of worry within the blonds gut and he knew better than to ignore that.

Whispering to himself as a small amount of chakra flowed through him, the now invisible teen slipped out the entrance and scaled the cliff face. Shimmying around to the blind side of the stilling alp, Naruto began lowering himself slowly, making sure to keep a very sharp eye out for any flying goat men.

Descending as evenly as possible, Naruto let out an exhausted grunt as his hand slipped and all his weight dangled by one arm. Finding purchase again, he continued on his climb. Fatigue was becoming a real threat after everything that had happened so far. Slipping again, he skidded down the rocks a few feet before he grabbed another hand hold. Cursing himself, Naruto flinched as the tiny avalanche of rocks and stones ran down to the ground, the soft clattering sounding more like a roaring cascade.

Holding still for a while longer in case someone came looking, Naruto let out a sigh as silence returned. Thankfully no one had heard it seemed. Reaching down and lowering himself further, a thought suddenly struck him. Where was everyone exactly? Come to think of it, he hadn't seen any grunts around either. It was too quiet actually.

Realising his folly, the blond abandoned stealth for speed as he began sliding down the vertical wall. He'd been found.

Not too much further into the drop his neck hairs pricked. Abandoning his purchase on the wall, Naruto jumped away from the rocks as a sudden explosion of black ignited in his former position.

Readying himself to land heavy, the blond stretched out his legs.

"You persistent bug."

A gravelly voice whispered by his ear before a blow to the middle of his back ruined his equilibrium and sent him face first into the earth. Groaning in pain as the ground gave way around him, the ninja tried to pull himself up but an iron hand wrapped itself around his throat and lifted him into the air.

"You believe we wouldn't have found you?"

Clawing at the fingers to let him breathe, Naruto gagged desperately as the grip tightened. It suddenly let go and a staccato of mind numbingly powerful hits drilled into his body. A wrist snapped deep into his torso and the teen was blasted back into a smooth rock face with a crunch. Crying out, a foot embedded itself into his gut and held him up against the wall.

"You think I wasn't ready?"

A double hammer hit across the back of Naruto's head smashed his face into the floor; following that a sharp stomp to bury his crown further. Something in his face gave way as the earth protested his entrance, a tooth loosening in the process as well. Not given a moment to breathe, fingers of iron wrapped themselves around Naruto's ankle and dragged him from the broken soil.

"You foolish creature, daring to defy me so many times in such a short period."

The arm attached to the fingers whipped around and slammed Naruto's limp body into the earth repeatedly. Finally letting him lie stomach down, Naruto's bloodied mouth opened partially as drool and other substances ran from his chipped teeth.

"Your fatigued state is nothing to me. Once I have extracted my pound of flesh from you, I will kill you."

Merciless toes embedded themselves into Naruto's side and rolled him over. Coughing in pain, the blond heaved in a breath as his foggy eyes gazed up at the absolutely livid mage standing over him. Thick swirls of black and purple energy were whipping violently around his frame, one glowing red eye staring down at him, captivating Naruto's gaze and pinning him to where he lay.

"I might have been amused by your persistence earlier, but now it is just a thorn in my side I have endured for too long." A foot raised over Naruto's head. "Die."

Bringing it down in a mammoth crunch, the earth gave way like tissue paper around the stomp. The mage's nose twitched as he realised that where Naruto's head had been moments earlier was now the remnants of a rock. "Dirty trick."

Not far away Naruto was clawing through the trees as rapidly as possible. This insanely pissed off Hades was unbelievably dangerous. At full strength Naruto would have been more than happy to tangle with him but right now his wearied body felt more like it had the consistency of wet cardboard than that of a seasoned ninja. A foot dug in deeply to his stomach as he stumbled and then a kick rocketed him high into the sky.

He tumbled bonelessly for a moment as he struggled to maintain composure. Holding out shaky hands, a short burst of chakra righted him and then held him level at a height that hopefully would keep him safe.

The poor blond panted as he tried to gather himself. This was bad, very bad. He didn't have the energy to fight back and every moment that passed he could feel himself growing closer to his limit. He could see Hades glaring up at him, the wicked aura surrounding the mage lashing about violently.

No, it was time to get out of here. Pushing a conservative amount of energy into his limbs, Naruto began to move away as quickly as he could manage.

"It would not do me well to let you go while the Master is so angry." A dark shadow fell across him though and the blond stifled a frustrated yell. Of course that guy was up here.

There was no arguing with Zoldeo this time though as the large humanoid reared an arm back. Desperately trying to avoid the blow, Naruto squirmed out of the way of the first punch thrown. Sadly the things legs were of disproportionate length so with a roundhouse kick only a hybrid like that could manage, he sent the teen plummeting to the ground with a cry of pain and a blossoming bruise in the middle of his back.

'Come on, come on! You must escape!'

Sluggishly reading himself for impact, Naruto braced. He didn't hit the ground however as an unexpected attack from Hades intercepted his fall, catching his torso across an outstretched arm. Pulling him up into a bone crushing hug, Hades leaned into Naruto's ear as he began squeezing the life out of him.

"You believe Ultear wouldn't notice when someone interrupted the reconstruction of the keys? That was your downfall and I plan to take a great deal of care in making sure you do not ruin our plans again."

Joints popping and bones creaking, Naruto let out a gasp as he kicked around. Black circles began filling his vision as everything began turning black and white.

'This can't be it! Come on Kyuubi where are you?'

Dredging up the last of his energy, Naruto focused it into his foot. Raising his leg high in the air, he swung down backwards and connected his heel solidly with the man's groin. A squeal pierced his ears and Naruto was unceremoniously dropped to the floor as Hades doubled up. Under any other circumstance it would have been hilarious but nothing was further from Naruto's mind as he sluggishly rolled over.

Digging his fingers into the dirt, the blond began dragging himself away from the groaning mage. It didn't matter where to, just so long as it was away from here. Pulling himself up onto all fours, he managed to crawl a few meters before he was slowly pushed back down onto his belly. While his mind screamed for him to get up, his body gave up and sank down without much resistance.

Hades' cold, slightly pained voice whispered from above him, the malevolence palpable. "Such a cowardly attack, even at the end. You will not survive this day Uzumaki, I shall make sure of it." A toe rolled him onto his back and the teen's blurry eyes looked up at the imposing figure. "Watch as you meet your end."

Raising his arm high in the air, a purple rune circle shot out from Hades hand as thick black flames began gathering in the palm of his hand. Refusing to give up though, Naruto gripped Hades ankle.

"Hmm, defiant until the last breath."

Stamping into Naruto's chest, the mage allowed himself a smile. Rearing back, the flames roared as they readied themselves for their meal.

Before anything more could happen though, a thunderous crashing sound rocked the forest. Looking up wildly, Hades glared at the source of the noise. "What no-"

He was cut off as a boulder twice the side of them combined slammed into his body and blasted him away through the trees with a deafening boom.

Staring up in confusion, Naruto's foggy head picked up the sound of someone landing heavily beside his head. "Whoops, didn't mean to throw it that hard. Crap, you're an absolute mess aren't you? Better get you out of here before you really are killed."

A pair of firm hand wrapped themselves around his middle and lifted him onto a broad shoulder, Naruto's limp head hanging down the man's back. A furious shout followed by a boom made the blonde's rescuer flinch. "Yup, he's pissed. What did you manage to do to him?"

Unable to form a coherent sentence, Naruto just shook his head weakly. Try as he might he couldn't get a good look at whoever this person was that was saving him for whatever reason. Still, he couldn't help but thank his lucky stars for the timely intervention. Shuffling Naruto around momentarily, his saviour began running through the trees at a brisk pace. It didn't last for long though as they were promptly confronted by some of the guild.

"S-stop! We m-must have Naruto and I w-will fight you!"

A worried voice from in front of them slowed their pace for a second. This didn't seem to worry whoever it was carrying Naruto too much though. "Sorry, I'll have to fight you another time. I need to get this kid some medical attention."

There was a sharp crack and Naruto could see from his position the grossly overweight member of Grimoire Heart flying off into the distance, his dirty black hair and chubby limbs all flapping in every direction. Blinking in surprise, Naruto then looked down at the back he was draped across. Whoever this was was outrageously strong.

As they continued on their path a few grunts tried to stop them with whatever spells they had, but they were batted away with ease, their flapping forms following close behind.

"Drop Naruto at once! We will have him!" The voice alerted Naruto to the presence of Meredy. There was movement off to her side too indicating someone a bit heavier.

"Come now, let him down. He's just trash! What are you trying to save him for? Why are you even here?"

Rustyrose.

"Look I really need to give him medical attention and I know whatever you wish to do with him isn't going to help him." Picking Naruto up, the man whispered into his ear, "Just hold tight for a moment."

Strong arms then catapulted Naruto into the sky giving him a bird's eye view of the fight. You couldn't really call it a fight though as it was over in a flash. The man dashed forward at an incredible speed with his arms out stretched. His fingers were curled up and as he reached Meredy, he flicked the girl in the middle of the chest.

The effect was instantaneous as she was knocked into the trees with a sharp scream of pain from the blow. Foliage and dust went up in a sizeable cloud as the girl bounced through the forest. That was all but ignored by Naruto's hero though as he turned and rushed Rustyrose. The poncy male wasn't even given a chance to contemplate what happened as he caught a solid punch to the stomach as the brown cloud rolled in. This was followed up with an iron grip latching onto his collar and the larger male heaving him into the trees like a sack of potatoes.

The stranger than dashed back to where he tossed Naruto into the air, catching him gently as if he weighed nothing. Placing the comparatively small teen back on his shoulder, Naruto realised he could do nothing to help or hinder this man. "Who… are you…?"

His soft question went unanswered though as whoever this person was ran straight through a massive tree, the thing exploding before him. As his hearing cleared from the boom, angry shouts rang out from all around him as they were pursued back to wherever the stranger came from. Mind well-worn and exhaustion overcoming him, Naruto just shook his head weakly before resting against the wide back of his rescuer and letting darkness overcome him.

XxXxXxX

"…mmm…"

Groaning gently, the snapping and crackling sounds of fire were the first things that broke through the blackness that was Naruto's consciousness. There was a soft chirping not far from him either, crickets and other small insects singing their soft love tunes. Next came the sweet smell of roasting meat over said fire which quickly made his lips wet. Attempting to move, Naruto let out a grunt. His whole body was rigid with pain, some of the sharper areas feeling like large gashes were still yet to heal.

Grunting again, the blond relaxed and instead tried to open his eyes. While his eyelids may have pulled up, he continued to stare into blackness puzzledly until his eyes focused and the soft twinkling of stars appeared. Closing his eyes again, the teen brought a hand up to his face and wiped down over it in resigned acceptance. He'd been asleep that long huh?

Tasting old blood between his chipped teeth, Naruto welled his tongue around in his mouth for a moment as he struggled to sit up. It took a lot more effort than desirable but he made it in the end. Snorting up some fuel, he leant away and hocked out a sizable wad of blood and mucus. He then reached into his mouth and grabbed a molar that felt lose. Wriggling it, the tooth came away without too much issue. He then flicked it into the trees, already knowing a replacement tooth was on the way.

"Oh, you're awake! I should have expected it though, you have quite the healing ability my friend."

Turning to face the voice, Naruto finally got a look at the man who saved him. Thought he was sitting, it didn't do much to hide the size of the massive human. Slicked back, dark, wonderfully orange hair grew down to his shoulders, scratchy stubble meeting with a bit of excess growth around his sideburns. Sharp eyes peered down at the lump of flesh that he was rotating over the open fire, a tongue occasionally poking through his lips in concentration.

A long, dark brown cape was draped about his shoulders, mostly covering what he was wearing beneath, a single arm poking out from it to tend to their dinner. Three shoulder plates were attached to both sides of his cape, the thick pieces of metal running up and over from his chest to his back.

Scars ran all over his chest and one visible arm, mementos of battles past. A deep blue Fairy Tail emblem on his left pectoral peeked out from underneath the swathe of bandages wrapping up his chest. Below all that two crossed legs poked out from under him, deep blue baggy pants covering the lengthy limbs. To top it all off, it seemed like both his left arm and leg were prosthetics whittled out of wood.

Resting on an arm, Naruto nodded. Looking over himself, the teen noticed he too was covered in bandages and patches, all of them tinged red from the cuts and abrasions beneath. His shirt was long gone but his messy pants still resolutely hung onto his form. Lifting a hand to his head, the blond ran a hand through his hair and dusted out the scabs and dirt from the altercation. That triggered his memory and adrenalin surged through his body. "Where's Grimoire Heart?"

The strange man held out a hand and spoke gently in a soothing, bass voice. "Calm down, you'll just hurt yourself more. That group is gone. I ran for a long while to escape them. Hades sure is persistent, but we lost him eventually." He chuckled sheepishly. "You may have caught a few knocks from some of the things the guild launched at us sorry, but I think I stopped most of them. So now that you know, lie back down and rest. You're safe."

Grimacing as something pulled, the teen gently eased his arm back down to the ground. Breathing evenly, the teen slowed his heart down to a more normal pace. Once calm again, he turned his head to address his rescuer. "Thank you. Uh, for helping me out back there, I probably wouldn't have made it out as easily without you."

A laidback smile was Naruto's first answer as the man shrugged. "That's ok, I saw you were looking a bit worse for ware and when a fellow Fairy Tail mage is in trouble, it'd be on my head if anything happened to them. Gotta say though, you were holding on pretty well for tackling Hades. He's not an easy man to fight."

Pausing, the teen looked down at his palm that held the Fairy Tail emblem. "Tell me about it. My exhaustion didn't really help though. But aside from that, you honestly saw my mark from all that distance away?"

Laughing, the man shook his head. "As much as I'd love sight like that, no. It was more the whole Wizard of the Ten Saints position coupled with your prestigious title of Fairy Tail's Orange Rocket. It'd be tough to miss your tell-tale features, even for someone as isolated as myself."

Naruto choked on air as that wretched name reared its head again. He wasn't about to growl at the man who just saved his life but that issue had to be addressed. "That wasn't my title and never will be. I'm Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto."

Shrugging nonchalantly, the larger male conceded. "Eh, that's fine. I guess you should know my name then too. Gildarts Clive, and it's a pleasure to meet such a powerful Fairy Tail recruit. Oh!"

Reaching into his bag beside him, the newly named Gildarts shuffled through a few things before pulling out a small pin and a metal plate and tossed them to Naruto. "Almost forgot, you'll probably want these. I had to take them off you when dressing those injuries."

Realising it was his Saints pin and forehead protector, Naruto smiled widely. "This is great! Thanks so much for holding onto them!"

The teen then stretched out an extremely gracious hand. Taking it, Gildarts shook once and Naruto nearly cried. The unbelievable pressure exerted by this mage very nearly crippled him hadn't he pumped a whole lot of chakra into his bones.

Letting go, Naruto fought the urge to cradle his hand while Gildarts laughed cheerfully as he shook out his own. "Wow! That's a crazy handshake you have there, can't say I can remember too many people who've been able to make my hand tingle. And that is perfectly ok."

Whimpering softly as his hand recovered, Naruto just nodded in case his voice broke.

Silence returned to the duo as Gildarts patiently rotated their meal over the fire, small drops of fat falling into the flames making them hiss and dance around greedily. Moths began circling around as shadows and light played on the ground, the insects trying to find a place to hide in the heat. Crickets continued to sing and a certain amount of peace seemed to settle over the area.

A rustling caught Naruto's ear and his hand flicked up to catch the water skin that was thrown at him. "Here, drink up. I bet you're exhausted after the day. The food won't be much longer either so wet those lips."

Nodding thankfully, Naruto tilted his head back as the cool liquid slid down his throat. Drinking his fill, he tossed the skin back and wiped his mouth. "So what brings you out here Gildarts? I can't imagine you were out here just to help me."

Gildarts poked the meat with a stick to test its progress. Happy with where it was at, he pulled the splint off the fire and stuck it end in the dirt to let it cool down. "I was just happening to pass through luckily. I'm coming home from a Century Quest."

Blinking curiously, Naruto frowned slightly. "Century Quest?"

Eyeing off the meat as he nodded, the tall man grunted affirmingly. "I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them. I assume you know of S-Rank Quests?"

"Yeah I have been involved in one."

Gildarts nodded once and continued. "So after that there's SS-Rank Quests. They're a bit harder. Then Decade Quests. Harder again. And finally you come up to Century Quests. Now those missions, that's a challenge!"

As he started laughing at himself, Naruto frowned as he tried to work it out. "So, what makes a Decade and Century Quest that? Is that how long it's meant to take to complete?"

Wiping an eye, Gildarts shook his head. "Nah, it's how long it's been since the job was posted. So my task was posted a century ago and no one's been able to complete it."

Eyes widening as realisation sunk in, Naruto pointed at the man. "So you completed something no one else has been able to for a whole hundred years?"

An embarrassed laugh greeted him in answer as Gildarts broke eye contact. "Ah, not exactly. I got destroyed."

"YOU got destroyed?"

Naruto leant back in surprise as his companion laughed sheepishly again. This guy seemed way too overpowered, yet something like this was enough to break him? What kind of a quest was it?

Changing subject without answering, Gildarts pointed over into the distance as he grabbed a chunk of meat off the finally ready to eat spit. "So what were you trying to ruffle Grimoire Heart's feathers for? No one in their right mind tackles them by choice."

Catching the spit as it was tossed to him, Naruto tore off his own piece as he planted the spit in the ground. Taking a bite, he blinked in surprise. It was really, _really_ good. "To be honest there were a few reasons. The biggest was to stop them from gathering all these thing called keys to resurrecting this dead mage called Zeref."

"Hmmm?" Swallowing a chunk, Gildarts rested his elbow on his knee as he leant forward. "So that's what they were doing?"

Naruto took another bite as he replied. "Yer, thur wers a big scrermble –" Naruto swallowed "– to reconstruct them. I destroyed them once but they have this mage, Ultear, who can rewind time and fix broken things. I think. I got back a part of the keys before she fixed them completely but then everything went pear shaped."

As Gildarts hummed and mulled over that, Naruto frowned slightly. "What happened to the rest of the guild anyway? Everything got fuzzy after that tree exploded."

"A tree?" The rusty man paused for a moment as he tried to remember. "Oh yeah, that one. Well, we were attacked by more of the guild but since their attack plans weren't in sync it wasn't too hard to avoid them. Usually they're a tough opponent, not just for their power but for how organised they are. They were surprisingly uncoordinated. You must have dealt them a real curve ball to throw them out of align so badly."

Breathing in through his nose, Naruto nodded as he asked, "So, was there anyone who attacked you who had long, waist length black hair?"

Gildarts nodded. "Yeah, he was really fat too. He wasn't too much of a challenge since he was so nervous."

The blond shook his head. "No, not that one, I'm talking about a girl, Ultear. Long black hair, fairly good looking, big bust? Though that's not too much of a distinguishing feature in this world…"

That last bit Naruto mumbled more to himself than his new friend as he sifted through his memory. "Hmmm… yeah I think I saw her actually. She didn't attack me though for some reason, more just stared at us with almost a look of relief on her face? I can't imagine why though."

Smiling internally, Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Though she deserved a good thumping for all her stupidity, the teen was happy she wasn't trounced by Gildarts the way everyone else in her guild was. Said male must have noticed though as he interrupted Naruto's thoughts. "Why's that, you got a thing for her? I couldn't blame you, if I was a decade younger I'd have given it a shot."

Blinking in surprise, the ninja stared at the mage. He got a seedy smile and thumbs up in return. Unsure where to go from here, Naruto shook his head. "Uh, nah it's more she's just doing something really dumb right now that I need to drag her out of." The blond paused for a moment. "She does have a _really_ nice ass though."

The cloaked man nodded sagely. "Extremely so. If anything does happen between you and her in the future, I say do your best and don't do anything I wouldn't."

"What wouldn't you do?"

"Not a lot."

As he trailed off laughing, Naruto shook his head and mumbled, "Stupid Ero-Sennin."

Catching himself in surprise, the blond paused as Gildarts asked, "What was that?"

"N-nothing, don't worry about it."

Grabbing another piece of meat, the blond chucked the spit back to his company and took a bite to save having to say anything else. Unbidden memories of his perverted old teacher came floating back into his mind and Naruto let out a sad sigh as his eyes trailed back to watching the fire.

Observing the blond withdraw, Gildarts knew better than to push something like this. He'd seen that look before in other people's eyes who'd lost family. Changing the subject, the elder male motioned at Naruto. "So what do you plan to do with the keys you grabbed?"

Breaking out of his flashback, Naruto shrugged and reached into his pocket. A soft purple glow from within his closed fist lit up his person as he withdrew them. "To be honest I'm not sure. Dig a hole and hide them? I haven't really thought that far ahead."

"May I have a look?"

Shrugging, the blond handed them over. Gently fingering the few pieces, Gildarts took in the sharp edges and soft aura. It wouldn't matter if he destroyed them again since Naruto had already tried that. His lady friend would have that problem covered. "What if they were just really far away? Would that stall them enough for you?"

Thinking the suggestion over, Naruto nodded. "Possibly. How far are we talking though? Cause I can't really go anywhere too far at the moment."

Flicking one of the pieces in the air, the taller man looked over at the horizon. "How about the other side of the earth?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, if we had a couple of months spare, sure."

Chuckling at the typical response, Gildarts stood up. "We won't be going anywhere. I'll just throw them."

That statement had the teen blowing pieces of meat over the ground. "You'll what?"

Scratching his cheek, Gildarts scrunched up his nose in thought. "I'm not too sure how to explain it, Levy does a much better job. Something about my strength coupled with my magic equalling me being able to throw something hard enough to make a projectile reach escape velocity for a few minutes? That's all the technical stuff I can explain, but it just means I can throw stuff really far."

"Uh…ha." Not sure if he was willing to believe that statement, Naruto digested the information. Even if that was an exaggerated amount, a quarter of the way around the earth would be plenty far enough. "Well, just throw it in the other direction to Grimoire Heart then so they don't catch it."

Nodding, the large male grinned and stretched his arm a bit. Loosening up his collar, Gildarts palmed the key fragments and whirled his arm around. "Sure thing. Though if they could catch this they deserve to keep them."

Rearing his arm back, muscles bulged all the way down the limb as a short burst of power sent dust flying everywhere. Next thing Gildarts was in the finished position of a throw, the actual action happening so fast Naruto barely could keep track of it. His keen eyes however caught the tail end of the keys blazing trail as they shot off into the distance with a sonic boom.

Rubbing his shoulder, Gildarts sat down again. Looking at the blond, he stifled a laugh at the boggle eyed expression he was being given. "What? I told you so."

Swallowing, Naruto nodded slowly. "Yeah… you sure did."

Grinning, the mage turned away, point proven. Grabbing another log, he plopped it on the dying fire. Ripping off another chunk of meat, Gildarts stuffed it in his mouth. He then chucked the rest of it at Naruto. "Eat that and then sleep. We're going back home tomorrow."

Looking at the lump, Naruto frowned. He still wanted to go back to Ultear but there was no way he'd be getting anywhere near her with Hades so furious. Not to mention he was no closer to working out why the Kyuubi's power was leaking out and changing colour. Sighing, Naruto looked over at Gildarts. The man had dug a hole out for himself in the space of about thirty seconds.

Shaking his head, the teen just accepted that fact and leant back. He was still feeling sore but a lot of the aches and pains had faded to dull throbs by this stage. That wonderful meal coupled with hopefully a good night's sleep should fix everything up.

Rolling over, the teen crossed his arms under his head and after a little shuffling slowly drifted off to sleep.

XxXxXxX

Three hours into their walk the next day and Naruto could happily say that nothing uneventful had happened. He'd been expecting a visit from Grimoire Heart the whole time but true to his word, Gildarts had given them the flick. The mage himself was pretty quiet once all obvious topics had been touched on, preferring to simply stroll along in silence and absorb nature. This suited Naruto just fine since he was still feeling weary from the last few days' worth of effort.

Breathing in deeply through his nose, Naruto sighed as his mind ran over the last week. A lot had changed in that time and he hadn't had much of a chance to process it until now. His thoughts did rather frequently involve Ultear and how to extract her from the guild. It was one thorn in his side that was extremely difficult to ignore. Deciding to leave that for another time, the blond looked up at his ginger counterpart. "So what can you do?"

Broken from his musings, the mage looked down. "Sorry?"

Naruto waved his hands around a bit. "Magic wise. What is your style? I didn't get to see much other than a few things explode near you."

"Oh." Looking down at a clenched fist, the powerful man grinned. "I use something called **Crash**. It's pretty self-explanatory. I destroy things. Here."

Reaching down, he picked up a small stone in the palm of his hands. What looked like a whole lot of bright lines criss-crossed it's surface before the stone simply spit along those lines and fell apart. Dusting his hands off, Gildarts thrust them back into his pockets. "It gets me in trouble from time to time, bit of a tricky ability to control."

Naruto snorted in agreement. "I can feel you on that."

"Oh?" The mage looked over. "What do you use then?"

Naruto chuckled as he remembered his **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques) **training**. **"I happened to learn a very old style of fighting that utilises natural energy. If you don't control it correctly you turn into a toad statue."

"Huh, well that's not something you hear of every day." Taking it in his stride, Gildarts raised a hand a thumped Naruto on the back. Solidly. "Good effort then for mastering it!"

Coughing as he replied, Naruto looked up through the slight watering of his eyes. "How did you know I mastered it?"

The man grinned. "Well you're still alive with no ill effects of it. I'd think that's proof for anyone observant enough."

That made the blond feel a bit dumb. Of course something like that would be evident to a top level mage like him. He covered his mouth as he coughed to cover his embarrassment and expertly switched topic. "So where are you going now? Back to Fairy Tail or did you have any other business to attend to?"

A shrug answered him. "Not too sure. It'd be nice to go home but I'm in no rush. Did you have anything in mind?"

Truth be told, he didn't. No real questions had been answered about his current condition and going back to Fairy Tail now wouldn't really accomplish much. The only thing he really discovered though was that the keys wasn't the cause on his strange transformation issues going on. Or so Hades stated. "Well, not really, but I do have a personal issue I need to deal with. I'm not sure how yet though."

Gildarts hummed sympathetically. "Anything I can help with?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not really something to be shared, ya know?"

This brought a chuckle from his companion. "Oh don't I know. Every mage I know that's worth half of an S-Rank has their own skeleton closet."

Thinking back to his own village, the friends he met and the issues they all had, Naruto couldn't help but snort in agreement. "You can say that again."

Silence then fell for a few moments before Gildarts spoke. "Have you spoken to any elders or council members that could help? They have seen a lot in their time you know."

On mentioning that, Naruto's eyes lit up as he remembered old Yajima on his way to setting up his new shop. "Now that you mention it, I do have someone I could talk with!"

"Oh?" Curiosity laced Gildarts voice.

"Yajima-san, the old council member, I can talk with him. He might be able to help. He's down in Hargeon though…"

"Great!" Naruto looked up at his now grinning friend. "I haven't been down there in years and I know there are a few damn good pubs there that are in desperate need of my patronage."

The smaller teen blinked. "Wouldn't you want to go back and see everyone again though?"

A shrug once again answered him. Gildarts seemed like he enjoyed the motion. "Eh, they don't know I'm coming and besides, a bit of time off after the mission is well earned. Not to mention Akane Resort is there." A sly grin crept onto the mage's face as he rubbed his hands together. "It's the perfect bikini weather down there this time of year so that's something I can't afford to miss." He then poked Naruto in the chest. "And after that ass kicking you received from Grimoire Heart, I think you need some time to heal too. Don't talk back either, doctors' orders."

"You're a doctor?"

"No, but if there was one here that's what they'd say. It's all they've ever told me when I've come to them looking like you."

Tsunade was much the same with her incessant nagging at him to rest so Naruto was quick to agree. The possibility of a bit of eye candy wasn't something that could be dismissed either.

So copying Gildarts, Naruto gave a shrug and replied, "Sure, a bit of company would be good. I'm liking the idea of Akane resort too, last time was good fun."

"Oh-ho, so you've already been there!" Gildarts grinned widely. "I bet that was something."

Naruto nodded, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Going with Cana and Erza created quite a few memories."

The insinuation sunk in quickly and Gildarts gave him a solid slap to the back. "My boy, I think we are going to get on just fine."

XxXxXxX

It took the day and a large portion of the night, but finally Naruto and Gildarts wandered into Clover Town. The outlook that the pair entered in from gave them a beautiful look down over the peaceful village. Soft, homely lights dimly lit up the large mountain faces that surrounded the valley.

It was a peaceful night too, calm and cool with a few insects chirping in the trees surrounding the houses. Breathing in deeply through his nose, Gildarts sighed and rubbed a tight muscle in his shoulder. "We finally made it, in good time too."

Walking over the edge of the lookout, both mage and ninja skipped the long path down the side of the mountain trail and just jumped. Several surprised squawks and rushed rustling in the undergrowth greeted them as they landed heavily before walking into the town.

On the way in, they passed the location of the enormous hole the Fairy Tail members had managed to open up in the fight against Lullaby. Peering over through the darkness, Naruto was pleased to see it had been closed up and a new building in its place sat nearly completed.

Finally reaching the town center, Gildarts dropped his duffle bag and patted his stomach. "So I'm starving. Food then sleep?"

Looking forward to both luxuries, the blond nodded sharply as he lifted his nose high. "Something smells awesome over this way."

The teen didn't wait for a reply as he unwaveringly followed his nose leaving his partner to grab his bag and hurry after him.

XxXxXxX

Dinner was loud, messy and expensive with an inhuman amount of food and alcohol consumed between the both of them. Gildarts' tab was also a bit longer than Naruto's as the excited mage managed to destroy a few cups, plates and a table with his magic in his haste.

The night finished off with Naruto following Gildarts out of a freshly destroyed wall, courtesy of one careless mage.

So with that large repair bill now tucked into his sack, Gildarts and Naruto stood before a hotel door, the taller man with his hands firmly stuffed in his pockets. "You knock, I don't want another charge like that to deal with tonight."

Chuckling, the blond rapped the doorhandle and stood back. Not a few seconds passed before the door opened to a tiny, frail looking old lady with light purple hair, squinting up at them through glasses that thick they could have been the bottom of a beer glass. "Evening?"

"Uh, yes we're looking for a bed for the night?"

A pair of bony fingers adjusted the focal length of her glasses as the lady tried to identify them in the poor light. "You two mages?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. This wasn't twenty question. "Yeah we are, did you have a place or not?"

"Powerful ones?"

The teen rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'd say we are. Now do you have a bed?"

Opening the door, the old lady turned and began shuffling down the dark hallway. "Follow me, I have a room for you two."

It turned out to be nothing more than a solid concrete room with two mattresses on the floor and a few blankets. A towel and a bar of soap were at the foot of each along with a small key to the lockable wardrobe that was built into the wall. A dull light hung from the ceiling with a basic but still pleasant enough cover focusing the light down. Towards the back there was an ensuite but neither male could it imagine being much more posh than what greeted them here. Naruto for one felt rather let down. "You have got to be joking. And it was how many Jewels a night?"

Three fingers in the air, almost pushed up his nose greeted him. "Three Thousand Jewels a night, plus a Five Hundred Thousand Jewel bond."

Nearly falling over themselves, Gildarts managed to splutter out, "What on earth is it that expensive for?"

Clasping her hands behind her back, the inn keeper grunted disapprovingly. "We've had problems with ultra-powerful mages before and word reached me that the wall of a favourite restaurant had just been blown out. Not to mention not that long ago the Building of Meetings was destroyed by a careless bunch so we've come to take no nonsense from you lot."

Naruto looked away sheepishly and scratched his cheek as Gildarts peered at him suspiciously.

Despite the bond being so high, the actual room price wasn't too bad at all and the mattresses _did_ look pretty comfortable despite lying on the ground. Yet, though it seemed like she might have had a good reason for her prices and so on, Naruto still felt compelled to grumble as he signed over the bond as a final sign of defiance. "This better not be gone by the morning."

Confirming the funds transferred, the keeper squinted up at him. "That depends if the room is still there in the morning. If you need me I'm in the room farthest from this one. Have a good sleep."

Leaving them to their business, the old lady then shuffled off down the hallway. Sighing dejectedly, Naruto heard Gildarts thump onto one of the beds. "Hey, for how cranky she was these are actually pretty good!"

Dropping onto his own, Naruto had to agree. There must have been magic applied to the mattresses because this was heavenly. Forcing himself to stand, Naruto grabbed his towel and walked into the ensuite. "You sleep if you want. I'm gonna clean myself off and then join you."

A voice floated in as he started undressing. "Mind you don't get your bandages too wet."

Naruto looked down at his chest and the blood stained bandages. "Don't worry about me, I'm probably healed by now anyway."

A grunt answered him. "Suit yourself then. 'Night."

Not bothering to reply, the blond jumped in the shower and washed himself down. The bandages themselves came away easily and sure enough there wasn't much left under them save for some pink lines of freshly healed skin. As he pressed them a sharp dig of pain still made him wince. Best be careful for another day.

Leaning back against the wall, Naruto finally found himself some time to think. The biggest things on his mind were the things Hades stated, obviously, and Ultear.

As for what that deranged old man claimed, what did that mean for him? He was controlling these outpourings of the Kyuubi's power better as time went on, but the fact they were still happening was a worry. In one way the ninja was pleased that his captive's power wasn't dependant upon a few keys, but on the other hand that just left him with however many other alternatives there were out there. Problem was Naruto didn't have a clue what most of them could be.

Leaning his head up against the wall, he closed his eyes as the soothing beating of water on his back relaxed his muscles. His mind emptied of all troubles for the time being as he slipped into a light trance, allowing the gentle caress of natural energy to slowly probe into him. That brought with it a calmness of mind that was not normal of the usually hyperactive ninja and with a relaxed sigh, sunk to the floor.

Clasping his hands together, the wet blond became one with his surroundings as his consciousness sunk into the recesses of his mind.

XxXxXxX

Time never felt like it existed when meditating like this so it could have been seconds or hours when Naruto opened his eyes. A bright floating light like a firefly on high beam drifted past his nose, whiting out the room for a moment until it was far enough away that it didn't overwhelm his sense.

The luminance of it didn't drop by much though as Naruto's calm eyes looked around his mindscape and saw a great horde of these lights. It lit up his usually dank sewer of a mind beautifully, shadows slowly crawling across the walls as lights passed by.

Easing himself to his feet, the blond let his senses stretch out and he felt himself fill the room with his mind, seeing himself from third perspective standing down in the middle of it. A smile tugged at his lips as he opened his eyes. Turning to face the corridor that led to the Kyuubi's cage, Naruto found himself walking there without thought. He wasn't sure what he was going to find but to be honest at the moment he wasn't too worried.

It's a funny thing how when you least expect it the most surprising of events usually happen, as which was the case as Naruto walked into the Kyuubi's lair. His mouth slowly dropped open as he stared up at the monstrous being, its usually imposing sight now more like a wonder of the world.

It had gone from being a deep red in colour to now being almost sunlight gold. It was sat up, piercing eyes glaring down on him as power and majesty filled its cage. Light poured from its being, lashes of golden flares slowly writhing in an invisible wind as they seeped into the walls of the prison, illuminating the room like it contained its own star.

Coming to a stop before his captive, Naruto stood still for a moment, simply absorbing the awe-inspiring sight. The spectacle was now so imposing that if one didn't know it was the Kyuubi that sat there, they could have mistaken it for a heavenly being.

**_"Why are you here?"_**

The deep, resonating bass of the enormous fox broke through Naruto's trance and brought him back to his senses. "I… what happened to you? You look… wow."

A sort of haughty, smug raising of the eyebrows was Naruto's answer as the teen looked it over. Once done, the fox spoke slowly. **_"It is good to see you finally paying me the respect and awe I deserve, though sadly far too late for my liking. As for this –" _**The Kyuubi swept an arm across itself, **_"– I am still not 100% sure. However, I believe I may have come up with the answer."_**

Shaking his head a bit to focus, Naruto made eye contact with the animal. "What is it? Why have you changed so much? Also, does it have anything to do with your power unexpectedly draining into me?"

**_"So many questions without even thinking about possible causes. Typical, stupid human. I'm not going to spell this out to you because I am still irritated over how you dared to address me previously. I will give you a hint though, the respect you are displaying now deserves that at least."_**

Naruto had all but forgotten about him barging in and screaming at the fox in his anger. He regretted it a bit since this meant he was only getting a small piece of what the Kyuubi could tell him.

**_"This golden change in me; in your fox cloak, it is all to do with that Eternano substance so prevalent in this world."_**

Naruto blinked. It couldn't be that simple could it? The majestic new look the fox sported certainly had the colouring of Eternano. "How can that be? I can see how that's effected the colour of my fox cloak then, but how is it responsible for the random occurrences of it appearing?"

The Kyuubi snorted. **_"That is for you to work out. Like I said, I would give you a hint. That is all. Now leave me be, I wish to rest."_**

Frowning at the revelation, Naruto sighed unhappily before simply accepting the fox wasn't going to give up any more information. Taking one last look at the strange sight, Naruto closed his eyes and faded out.

XxXxXxX

Opening his orange eyes, the young sage sighed. "Eternano, huh?"

That at least was a massive relief. No malevolent power or entity trying to drag up his inner demon for the sake of destroying the world. That was a nice thought.

Tilting his head back, the blond closed his eyes and let the water run over his face for a few moments longer. Eventually deciding to get out, he got to his feet and dropped the towel out the front of the shower. Stepping onto it, he brought up to fingers. "**Fuuton: Fuku Ha Kansou no Jutsu(Wind Release: Clothes Drying Technique)."**

Stepping from the now saturated room, Naruto looked down at the sleeping form of Gildarts. He chuckled as he remembered the mages shock when he unsealed a new set of clothes that morning. Depositing the dirty ones on the floor, he pulled himself out his sleepers before sealing up the old ones. Placing his Saints Badge and forehead protector beside his bed, Naruto reached out and flicked off the light.

Strange thing was though that the light didn't turn off. Trying a few more times, the blond frowned as he looked up at the light. It was turning off, but light continued to fill the room. It twigged after a moment and Naruto looked down at himself.

Sure enough the fox cloak was wrapped around his form, the usually bubbling mass now more similar to how Kyuubi looked with flares of light slowly reaching up to the ceiling.

Raising an arm, Naruto looked himself over as he pondered the cause. He wasn't scared of it anymore and the negative mindset that usually came with it was all but gone. A small smile graced his lips at the potential of that. Battle wouldn't be the same again. Still, it was something he needed to get under control.

Climbing into bed, the teen wrapped himself up as tightly as he could to try and blot out the light. Weary after a long day of travelling though, it didn't take him long before he fell into a dreamless sleep.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Well I'll be, an update. Over a year later, an update. And what a year it has been._

_I won't bore you with massive detail, but my life has been so unbelievably busy I don't even know where to start. For a few months I went overseas with my bike to hit up a few international contests so that took me away, but the main culprit is this new part time business venture I jumped into._

_It's pretty much the best thing I have ever done and I threw myself into it to get it rolling. I could go on and on about it, but I won't because we're here about the story, not about business. If you are curious though, just direct message me and I'll be happy to update you. _

_Just please don't hug my inbox to death too fast._

_Anyway, the time off has helped give me a good view of what I want to do with the story and where I want to take it, along with Naruto's little problem he's got going on at the moment._

_Please forgive me if it reads a bit rusty, a year off tends to dull the sword a bit. I may end up going back and changing things as I realise I mucked up. Hopefully not but we'll see._

_Fingers crossed I should be able to start getting some more chapters rolling now so we just might see an end to this thing yet!_

_Thanks to all who are still reading this hahaha, your patience is admirable. _

_Until the next update,_

_Lanky Nathan_


	34. Chapter 34

"You were glowing last night."

"Huh?"

The unintelligent answer was a result of Naruto being caught completely off guard by the blunt statement as he and Gildarts were packing. Naruto paused to look at the older man who carried on like he was talking about the weather.

"Yeah, glowing. Pretty brightly too, right through your sheets."

Studying him for a moment, the blond slowly went back to packing, unsure of where this was going. "I thought you were asleep. Sorry to have woken you."

Gildarts chuckled. "Might as well have had the sun in the middle of the room it seemed that bright. It'd be hard to sleep through it. Though… the malice would make it a bit harder to miss again."

Both males slowed their packing, each turning an eye to the other. Though they didn't stop, the tension in the room began climbing. Finishing folding his bed sheets, Naruto gently placed them on the mattress and turned to his scroll. "Sorry? How do you mean?"

Stuffing his old shirt in his duffel bag, Gildarts shrugged. "Oh, just the feeling you wanted to attack me pretty badly. I don't usually take too well to that sort of threat. Didn't sleep very well afterwards either I'm afraid and I do like my sleep."

Slipping his scroll into his fresh pair of pants, Naruto slowly pinned his Saints badge to his chest and wrapped his forehead protector around its place. "That… was unfortunate. What is your opinion on it?"

Zipping everything up, the bag was thrown over Gildarts shoulder and the man stood up to his full height, back turned to Naruto. "I'm not too sure yet. Do I have a reason to worry?"

The blond frowned slightly and shook his head measuredly. "No, you do not. I can explain a bit more if you wish, but I'd prefer to do that away from the town."

Turning, Gildarts nodded, otherwise expressionless. "Yes, lets."

XxXxXxX

The members of Fairy Tail stood opposite of one another just outside of Clover, the greenery that was so abundant in that area shielding them from any onlookers. Gildarts was seemingly relaxed, but the sharp attention in his eyes told a different story. Naruto was equally relaxed, but his mind was on high speed, trying to make certain of the most favourable outcome.

Squaring up, he decided to go about it as bluntly as possible. "Alright, you have questions. I guess after last night you deserve some answers, but just remember I'm not able to share all details yet. That fair?"

Gildarts nodded. "Continue."

Taking a moment, Naruto quickly decided how best to approach this. "I guess I should be as straight up as possible… as much as I dislike this. That strange malice, that wasn't exactly me."

Gildarts raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Seemed a lot like it was coming from you."

"Well, yes but it goes a bit deeper than that. I… I have a demon sealed in me. And I have access to some of its abilities."

The taller mage missed no beat with the revelation. "How much control does it have over you?"

"None!" The sharp retort didn't faze the mage in the slightest. "Are you a danger to anyone around you?"

Prying questions into a very personal aspect of Naruto's life quickly agitated the blond and he responded as such. "What the hell do you think? Of course not!"

"And Fairy Tail?"

Growling dangerously, Naruto stepped up to the taller mage. "Don't even think for a second that I'd hurt them. They've shown me more acceptance in the few short months that I've been here than the majority of the people in my home town my whole life."

They then fell silent, the taller, calmer man looking down into the fiery, passionate eyes of the smaller one. The tension was palpable and each of their nerves were at the limit. Squinting slightly, Gildarts flinched and Naruto's hand flashed back.

Time slowed down as the mages hand rose up towards Naruto's head, the ninja's eyes widening to take in every detail as his hand grasped a kunai. Leaning back to miss the attack, Naruto almost jumped when a firm hand landed on his head and ruffled his hair.

Blinking in shock at the almost affectionate gesture, Naruto froze as the hand rocked back and forward across his scalp. Laughing openly, Gildarts gave him a playful punch in the stomach and completely relaxed. "Very good then! I just had to make sure that wouldn't be a problem for the guild. I can tell you have the same passion for that mouldy joint as me now so no hard feelings, yeah?"

Letting out a shaky breath, Naruto subtly pocketed the knife and rubbed his chest. "Oh come on, couldn't have you just asked me outright? I thought it was going down."

The rusty ginger gave him a cheeky wink and slapped him on the shoulder as he walked past. "Maybe, but what would have happened if the answer was less favourable? Come on though, I'm done with it so let's leave it at that. Besides, if we don't hurry we're gonna miss our train."

Sighing, Naruto scratched his head as the adrenalin eased out of his system. "Just like that huh?"

Turning to follow the mage, Naruto took one last look back.

Behind where Gildarts stood, originally out of Naruto's sight, the whole side of a tree had vanished, an almost cube like hole replacing where the majority of the trunk should have been. Eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second, the blonde's fingers twitched agitatedly before he stuffed them in his pockets and trotted out of the woods.

XxXxXxX

Naruto gave a wide yawn as the train gave a sharp whistle to announce their arrival. Rubbing an eye, the ninja rolled over onto his stomach as the doors opened and people started pouring out the doors. Deciding to wait until there was more space to breathe, the blond yawned again and patted his pockets to make everything was there.

"Naruto! You still with us or have you fallen off?" Gildarts looked to the trains' roof as a blond head poked over the guttering. "Yeah, still here."

Waiting a bit longer for the crowds to thin, Naruto stood up and stretched. Scratching an itch on his belly, the ninja stepped off the roof to land with a thump beside the mage. "So what are you doing now then boy? Off to see Yajima… san?"

Naruto nodded dopily. "Yeah, might as well. It's a good place to start, though I'm not too sure where it is."

"Did you need any help?"

Naruto glanced up at his companion. "Nah I should be ok."

"Good!" A wide grin then spread across Gildarts' face. "Because I hear the nearest bar calling my name with a good deal of grog and girls awaiting my embrace. I trust that you'll be able to find me later. So until then!"

With a solid thump to the back that had Naruto wheezing, the powerful mage wandered off, arm raised high in farewell. Swallowing his lungs, Naruto took a deep breath and stood up straight, Gildarts already out of sight. "Well that's one problem taking care of itself. Now for me."

A quick survey of the area had Naruto wandering over to the information booth and the pretty young attendant within it. Apparently the old man had gone and set up a new restaurant already and it was doing good business within the community. It wasn't too far a walk from the station either so with a quick thanks Naruto was on his way.

Maybe five minutes later the blond was standing at the entrance to the quaint cafe. It was a pleasant cream with a welcoming doorway set back under a recently cleaned awning. A flower box sat at the base of each of the lower floor windows, the upper floor possibly having them too from the smell of things but the balcony hid any trace of that.

A well slanted, wooden roof topped everything off with a single chimney poking up out of the middle of it. Somewhat disguising that was the large shop name attached to it, a knife and fork either end of the sign with a chefs cap sitting on top of it. "8Island hey? Let's see what he's done."

Pushing the door open, the blond managed all of five steps inside before he was blind sided by three bodies slamming into him and driving him to the floor. Blinking in surprise at the three bountiful chests pressed into his face, Naruto made do with the squealing as he tried to work out who it was and why they wanted to hug him to death. The voices were familiar though and it didn't take long for it to click.

"Oh! Kelly, Shelly and Sally?" The muffled voice from beneath the girl had them giggling as they cuddled into him more. "Yup! You guessed us! How have you been?"

Pulling himself into an upright position, the girls simply changed their position to remain attached. Now able to see them, Naruto was pleasantly pleased with the waitress style clothes the three had. It was a single strapless dress piece in the most wonderful orange he'd ever laid eyes on. Gorgeous really. That was the most important feature to the blond but the smaller details still helped with the overall look. The top and bottom of the dresses had small triangular tassels running around them from front to back and the large store name '8Island' printed across their busts. A clean white apron was tied around their waists with an overly exaggerated bow at the back. Shoulder-less sleeves clasped their upper arms, the material hanging down to their wrists, finished off with the same small white, triangular tassels their dresses had. Finishing off the rather appealing look were a pair of white, thigh high stockings and a pair of simple brown shoes.

Nodding approvingly to himself, Naruto patted each of them on the head in turn. "I've been good! Pretty busy with stuff though so I'm exhausted. How have you been?"

The sister with the scar under her right eye, Kelly, grinned. "We've been busy too. As you can see we've picked up this waitressing job. Apparently the owner only likes employing mages since he cooks with magic. Says it helps bring out the flavour." She then tucked her head into his chest and cuddled him some more. "We've missed you though!"

Her sisters whined in agreement and the blond sighed. "It's been like, three days since you've seen me?"

Glistening eyes met his and he nearly melted under the power. "But that feels like a lifetime when it comes to counting time away from you!"

Coughing to reclaim composure, the blond looked around. He began sweating a bit when he realised how large a number of very dangerous glares he was receiving from the patrons. He wasn't here to create a scene so he tapped the girls on the head. "Um, this is lovely and all, but shouldn't you be working still? I wouldn't want you to lose your jobs because of me."

Gushing audibly, the girls stood up and sighed. "You are so perfect!"

"Thinking of us even now."

"What a gentleman!"

"You're the best, please take a seat and we'll be right with you!"

"You two can serve others, I'LL serve Naruto now."

"What, that's totally unfair!"

"Yeah! I should be!"

Sweat dropping as the conversation took a nosedive, Naruto held his hands up and shouted to be heard over the argument. "Girls! I'm not here for food, not yet at least. I actually came to see Yajima-san if you can let him know?"

They all paused in their noise as they looked at him. It took a moment before they all dashed off in a flurry of limbs, skirts, order slips and hair, each shouting at the other that they'd be the one to get the boss. Sighing as they disappeared, the teen slumped to a table and rubbed his temples. He hadn't been expecting this and while certainly not unpleasant, he was still feeling somewhat fatigued from everything and so wasn't quite up to handling them.

Not long later the girls emerged, much more reserved and looking a bit sheepish. They passed Naruto with a soft sorry and continued taking orders as they were originally employed to do. Chuckling to himself, Naruto guessed they'd just been told off. "Naruto!"

Hearing his name, the blond turned to see the old man poking his head out of the doorway to the kitchen. "Yajima-san! Good to see you!"

Nodding, the little man motioned for him to walk over and guided him outside to the back alley. Settling himself down on a wooden crate, Naruto grinned and motioned to the building. "How's things? You really got it all set up quickly."

"You say that like you've forgotten what mages of your strength can do. I just hired a bit of help and had it finished in half a day."

The blond chuckled. "Yeah, right. So business is good?"

"Extremely." The crafty old man grinned and gave Naruto a slow wink. "I know what draws the customers. Though that's the first time a customer has drawn the waitresses…"

"Heh…" Naruto scratched his head. "I have a bit of history with those three."

Yajima snorted. "With the way they jumped on you I'd have called them crazy if you hadn't. So what brings you down this way anyway? Find anything of any use?"

The blond frowned and rested his arms on his knees. "Yeah, about that, I had a few things I wanted to talk with you about. But first -" Naruto brought his hands up and created several clones. They all dashed off to secure the area. "- just had to take care of that. So, it was more to do with what I didn't find more than anything."

The old man said nothing, simply electing to stand and listen.

"Well, when you said a dark guild could be after my power, I went and found Grimoire Heart and started snooping through them." The blond intentionally left out information on Ultear in case the poor old man had a heart attack. It seemed that him taking on the dark guild did the job though.

"You did WHAT? Of all the guilds you chose to snoop through, you chose that one? Why pray tell?"

Naruto scratched his cheek. "Well, they found me to be exact. I got dragged into their business after one of their mages attacked me. Ended up bring insightful enough and I did get some answers from them, if not the ones I wanted."

Shaking his head and holding his heart, Yajima sighed. "You youth are far too eager to lose your lives. What's done is done though. What did you learn?"

Frowning, the blond pursed his lips. "This is where it gets confusing. So apparently no one is trying to attack the demon in me. They at least didn't even know it existed. So that's a good and bad thing –"

"– In that you now know it's not someone out to get you, but that leaves with you even less of an idea of what's going on. Correct?"

Naruto nodded, not really surprised at the astuteness of the former council mage. "However, there have been some odd changes within the cloak I showed you. It's gone from red to gold and the demon itself has changed colour."

"You can see it?" Yajima raised an eyebrow as this piece of information was revealed.

"Yeah, I can even speak with it too." This caused both grey eyebrows to raise, but nothing was said. "So yeah, from what it told me, a factor of this weird happening is actually the Eternano in the air. It wouldn't tell me any more though so now I'm struggling for clues."

Humming in thought, the man cupped his chin. "Strange, that it should only be happening now after so long."

Clicking that Yajima didn't know Naruto's background, the teen waved it away. "Oh, that's not the issue. It's more, why does it keep leaking? What's actually causing it? Because as much as I'm thankful it's not some external thing, I still need to know what's happening. I mean, what if I randomly sparked up now? I don't want to scare everyone."

"Mmm." The old man thumbed his chin as he pondered the issue. "Have you gained any more control over it as time has passed? Or has anything else changed?"

This drew a grin from the young ninja. "Yeah actually I have! Got more control that is. Like, I can still feel the anger and stuff, but it's nowhere near as intense as before."

Nodding as a smile slid onto his face, Yajima crossed his arms with finality. "Brilliant. I can't say I'd be able to help you out with any more than what you've already found out but the fact you're gaining control over this entity is certainly reassuring. As for if it happens in public, I think I can trust you with taking care of that."

The blond nodded. "Yeah, for sure. While still a pressing issue, at least it isn't so much of a negative one now."

"Exactly." The small mage nodded once. "This, while unexpected, could prove to be a good thing in the long run. Count yourself lucky."

"Definitely." Naruto stood up as he said this, Yajima turning back to his restaurant and leading him inside.

"If you do happen to discover anymore information please keep me updated. It is quite the curious case that I've taken a bit of an interest in. At my age a little excitement is needed to keep things ticking." He held the door open as Naruto walked through. "Now, how about a meal for you? On the house for the good news."

Naruto's eyes lit up at this. He hadn't had a proper meal in days. "Yeah, of course! But I still have to pay you back for scaring you though don't I? Two bowls of ramen with twelve pieces of pork in each."

"You can repay me later, this calls for a celebration of your first time in my shop and for the good news!" Suddenly picking up in energy, the short man's eyes suddenly opened wide, startling Naruto with the intensity of the gaze. "Run in and find yourself a seat quickly now! Send the girls in and I'll have your meal ready soon!"

Suddenly calming down, the mage then turned and made his way over to a stool in front of the stove. He jumped up on it and then began preparing all sorts of meats and vegetables. Unsure what to make of the random and extremely sudden outburst, Naruto quietly ducked out into the shop front. He wasn't even sitting fully when Shelly suddenly stood before him, eyes upturned in glee and notebook held tightly to her chest. "So how did it go? I hope all is well?"

Not bothering with details, the teen nodded. "Yeah, it was good. He didn't say much, more just encouraged me."

"Nawww!" The girl squealed shrilly, hugging herself tightly. "If you needed encouraging I would have happily helped you though, I hope you know that!"

Naruto chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I could have guessed. Yajima-san did say that he was preparing something for me though. Would you be able to get it for me?"

Instantly alert to his needs, the girl nodded once before dashing off into the kitchen. Sighing quietly, the teen shook his head, unable to comprehend the girl. Relaxing into the chair, he had a look around.

The interior matched the exterior nicely, the walls a pleasant cream with all the trimmings a matching contrast of green. It was fairly open too with a wide walkway down the middle for guests and workers, the abundant pot plants and other greenery not imposing on traffic in the slightest. There were also copious numbers of pictures hanging from the wall, each depicting a different scene from different eras in Earthland's history. The customer number had dropped too with only a few plain looking patrons in the chairs. The heads of the other two sisters stuck out amongst everything as well, drawing the attention to the bright pink hair of the attractive triplets as they waited. Hearing the clatter of plates, the blond stopped gazing about and sat upright.

Several plates were dropped in front of him and a beaming face behind them smiled down on him. "Here's the food! I do hope you enjoy."

Licking his lips as the delectable smell reached his nose, the ninja eyes the food hungrily as he slapped his hands together. "Oh you bet. _Itadakimasu!_"

"Ita… what?"

The girl's question went unanswered as Naruto instantly began tucking in with gusto, blotting out any external distraction in favour of devouring what was presented to him. He didn't register the cushion depress as a body sat beside him. Shelly had her head resting on knitted fingers, half lidded eyes dazedly watching the teen scoop through the meal. A small smile pulled at her lips as he burped, the girl sighing and enjoying the feeling of being close to him. That spell was broken pretty quickly as a plate pushed under her nose make her blink.

"More please! That was absolutely delicious, whatever it was." The upturned eyes, coupled with the cute whisker marks and the infectiously wide grin was enough to make her knees weak. That wasn't to do though as her saviour needed more!

"Right away cutie!" Grabbing the plates she dashed back into the kitchen, eager to fill her crush's tummy.

XxXxXxX

A half hour later Naruto sat well and truly stuffed fat, his food baby bulging widely and his pants unfastened to allow for extra space. Sighing happily, Naruto looked up at the pretty waitress and smiled apologetically. "Sorry for making you run so much. It was just too good to stop!"

She may have been exhausted but that face was more than worth it. "Not to worry! I needed to run a bit anyway… I haven't really been keeping up with my exercises."

Picking at his teeth, the blond grunted. "Huh, could have fooled me. Alright, time to move."

Pulling himself up, he caught his pants just as they were about to drop and did them up. He couldn't help but sweat drop when he noticed the disappointed look Shelly was giving him. Nice confidence boost though.

Stretching, the teen nodded at his waitress. "Well, best go see the old man and then I'll be off."

"Wh-where are you going?"

Blinking, Naruto pondered the question for a moment before scratching his cheek in confusion. "To be honest, I'm not sure! I need to go find my buddy Gildarts but I have no idea where he'd be. Somewhere drunk I'd imagine."

The girl smiled. "You go talk with Yajima while I clean this up. I'm just about finished my shift now anyway and I know a few places that would be good to look. I'll show you around!"

Grinning, the ninja waved at her thankfully as he turned. "Oh, that'd be a big help! I'll meet you outside."

"For sure cutie!" Blowing the back of his head a kiss, Shelly turned and easily dodged the knife launched at her head.

"How dare you do that to us! We deserve his presence just as much as you!"

Grinning at her fuming sisters, the pink haired triplet just giggled and patted both her sisters as she sauntered past. "First in, best dressed or so they say. Besides, I really am about to finish my shift and you two aren't. I'll just have to fill in for you both while you work."

Her cheeky grin as she dodged a fork only served to infuriate her sisters further. "KELLY. SALLY! WHERE ARE YOU?"

The abnormally loud, impatient cry of their boss had anything they were going to say choked up in their throats as they dashed back to the kitchen to fill the waiting orders.

XxXxXxX

"Aw come on, how many pubs are there in this town?"

"Plenty!"

Sighing irritably, Naruto scratched his head and looked down at the girl attached to his arm. He had a sneaking suspicion she knew a faster way around but was dawdling. They had still yet to find Gildarts, but at some of the bigger pubs there had been evidence of his presence, whether it be a wall blown out or cubes of wood on the floor that was formally tables and chairs. During all this Shelly had remained fastened to his arm, grinning incessantly. While he did enjoy the company of a pretty thing like her, he did wish to find Gildarts first and see what their next move was.

The girl had changed quickly enough though so he had to give it to her. Her long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the red scrunchie a nice clash to the pink hair. Her top was just a simple beige blouse with frilled ended and a set of jeans to finish off her lowers. Nothing extravagant but she still scrubbed up ok even when pushed for time.

It was almost music to his ears then when a measured explosion reached them from a street away. Grinning widely, Naruto grabbed the girl and took the shortest possible route to the sound, that being straight over the roofs of the houses in a chakra infused leap.

Landing, he let the girl down. The poor thing shakily latched onto his sleeve to support her weak legs as she regained her feet, her pupils dilated and her raspy breath coming out in shaky pants, one hand clutching the fabric above her heart as she tried to still the rapid beating from the shock of the jump.

Ignoring this Naruto walked straight into the mess of wood and people and looked around. Seeing the tall mage he'd been looking for hunched over the bar, he wandered up and tapped him on the shoulder. Turning, Gildarts took a moment to remember him before jumping up and wrapping the smaller male up in a bone crushing hug. The violent whipping action knocked Shelly clear into the air and into the mess behind them with a squeal. "Naruto! I didn't know where you'd been! I'm so happy to see you!"

Letting him go, Gildarts pushed him back by the shoulders so he could look into the icy blue eyes of the teen. "I didn't wanna have to fight you you know? I didn't… and I'm sorry for having to!"

Tears began pooling at the gingers' eyes as he began to break down. "I'm sorry!"

Caught completely off his feet by this unexpected turn of events, all the blond could do was nod uncertainly. Three years away on this job and Gildarts had come home to hit the bottle hard. It didn't help he seemed like an emotional drunk.

"But since that part of our life is over, I pra – preh – prepors – propose a toast to our continuing friendship and stuff! BARTENDER!"

Slamming Naruto into his chest in a hug that would make Elfman proud, Gildarts dropped several large notes on the bench. They were quickly exchanged for drinks and Naruto couldn't help but blink as the glasses lined up beside one another. Looking up at the mage, Naruto cleared his throat to gain his attention. "Uh, so how much have you drunk?"

Gildarts swept his prosthetic arm across the glasses proudly. "I'd say this is the fifth round. I think."

"In this bar, at least." Naruto couldn't help but sweat drop when he heard the bartender mumble that under his breath.

"Shouldn't we get you to a room for the night then? I mean, you're lucky you can stand up. I did want to talk with you about what we were going to do too…"

A sharp blow to the top of Naruto's head ended anything else he was going to say. Mouth opening in pain, a shot glass was stuffed into his throat and nose pinched, resulting in him having to swallow. Coughing openly as the toxic mixture slid down his throat, Gildarts laughed deeply and necked one himself before slapping Naruto's back. "Oh come off it you old fart. I'm drunk as a skunk and having fun. It's been three years since I could relax so join me! Where'd that lady go that you brought in with you?"

Leaving Naruto to try and rub the taste off his tongue, Gildarts went sifting through the wood and unconscious bodies until a groan and shock of pink caught his eye. Grabbing the girl, he picked her up as if she weighed as much as a feather and grinned. "So who are you and what are ya doing with Naruto?"

Swallowing nervously, Shelly looked around uncomfortably before answering. "M-my name's Shelly and I –"

She couldn't finish her sentence as a glass was stuffed in her mouth too, courtesy of Gildarts again. Walking back over to Naruto, he kicked a stool to its feet and dropped the girl on it. "Very good! Come, let's drink, the night is young and we have so very much more time to get wasted! It's on me so get shotting!"

A cry of joy from voices all over the destroyed pub filled the halls and Gildarts let out a mighty laugh as men and women from everywhere came scrambling in to capitalise on the free alcohol.

XxXxXxX

The rest of the night turned into a blur from there, Naruto's fantastic regenerative abilities thoroughly pushed to their limits with the amount of fermented beverages forcefully tipped down his throat by a very merry Gildarts. Somewhere within the night the other two thirds of the triplet trio arrived and they too were dragged into the mess, kicking and screaming if the blond remembered correctly. The only downtime he had was in between bars and sadly by the time he'd sobered up there was already another shot glass being massaged down his throat.

Noise, colour, light and the occasional bare backside littered his memory as bleary eyes struggled to pull themselves open the next morning as thankfully soft morning light broke through the curtains of an unknown room. Groaning deeply, Naruto slapped a palm to his forehead and coughed, his pungent breath still laced with alcohol. Thankfully he didn't have a hangover like when Cana made him drink her poison, however the sluggish reboot of his brain was still evidence enough to show that whatever Gildarts had put him through last night had been nothing short of inhuman.

A snort beside him turned his attention to the underwear clad backside of a girl who was sleeping upside down on the bed. Unfocused eyes blinked as he traced up her form to see bright pink hair flowing all across the bed sheets. Her simple beige blouse was all scrunched up around her chest with most of her back showing. "Oh… Shelly."

Yawning as the slowly progressing sunlight hit his eyes, Naruto rubbed a palm into his lids as he sat up. As he woke up, heavy breathing off to his side drew his attention as two other identical girl in various states of dress were draped across one another. The half removed clothes and half applied nightgown showed at least a feeble attempt to get ready for bed before unconsciousness consumed them. If Naruto had the effort he would have chuckled as their hair was all levels of messy. That was going to take hours to set straight.

Crossing his legs, the teen looked down and saw he was only in his boxers. Slowly looking across the room he saw his poor pants in two separate pieces lying opposite sides of the apartment. Damn girls. That must have been their fault. Thankfully what was still on him was perfectly intact so nothing too X rated had gone on. 'Ero-sennin might not have been so happy about that though…'

Dragging himself to the edge of the bed, the teen tousled his hair with one hand while he yawned widely. Pulling himself to his feet, a wobbly journey was made to the bathroom for the usual order of service after a heavy night out. Ten minutes later that was topped off with a weak fire technique to dispel the smell, Naruto was washing his mouth out in the sink when a moan of hell from the room made the blond wince in sympathy. Not a moment later the door was kicked open as a streak of pink rushed to the toilet and an almighty heave made Naruto's stomach turn.

"Ohhh… please kill me now great merciful one, for I have sinned."

"Uh…" Not sure how to reply to that, Naruto just backed out and closed the door. Another moan had the blond considering plugging the door to make it sound proof. First things first though and that was clothes.

Stepping over various discarded items, Naruto got to the first half of his pants and fished through the pockets. Grasping the scroll, the scrap pants were thrown over shoulder as a fresh set appeared in his hands. Stepping into one leg, Naruto pulled it up when another moan from the bed made him look over.

One very groggy pink head was up and looking around blearily, smudged makeup and bloodshot eyes making for one messy looking girl. Eventually focusing on the male halfway through putting on his pants, the girl blinked, looked down at her mostly naked self, looked back up and mumbled, "Nice" before dropping her face back into the mattress to pass out again.

Continuing dressing, Naruto found his shirt in the corner and shrugged that on. Hearing another retch from the bathroom and then a weak, "Help?" the teen sighed and crossed his fingers. A fresh clone grimaced at the sound of another heave but dutifully pinched its nose before entering to hold her hair back out of the way. With that sorted, a barefoot, half-drunk teen then staggered out into the hallway and promptly introduced his face to the carpet as he tripped over another fallen body.

"What now."

Looking down, a rusty head under his foot solved that mystery with a mighty snore. The instigator of this entire mess had seemingly not even made it into the room. Either that or had been kicked out at some point. Leaving him where he lay, Naruto wandered to a staircase and stomped down it. Reaching the ground floor, an inn servant greeted him with a smile far too sweet for that early in the morning. "Ah, you are awake! I do hope you slept well."

"Eh, wasn't too bad." The grunt of a reply didn't dim the smile in the slightest.

"Very good. Well then, since you are a guest of the triplets you are welcome to a complimentary breakfast if you desired? Though if you're not feeling up to it this morning I can completely understand."

An eye cracked open to look over the man. He was way too happy. Naruto's stomach though was in fine condition for breakfast and after that mass evacuation earlier his bowls were ready. "Nope, bring me whatever you guys do for breakfast, but triple."

Bowing slightly, the man backed away, that irritating smile still holding strong. "Right away sir! The tables are just around that corner to your left so please pick any you desire and I will be back in five… no, please allow ten minutes for the volume ordered."

"Mmph. Thanks." Ignoring the abnormally happy man stride away, Naruto followed the instructions and plopped himself down at a long bench table. Resting his back, the blond must have dozed off since a moment later a finger tapped his shoulder and a waft of eggs, toast and other fine things made him crack a smile.

"I hope everything is to your liking. If you need anything at all do just ring this bell." Following the finger, Naruto nodded as he saw the brass bell. "Now if there is anything else…?"

Naruto shook his head. "This is fine thanks. When it's running low though more would be great."

Nodding cheerfully as Naruto clapped his hands together in thanks, the waiter backed off as he tucked in. A cautious eye trailed the man though as Naruto tried to see if there was anything funny with the food he ate. Not that poison would actually do anything to him but Naruto just wasn't sure about that guy. He seemed too exaggerated.

Halfway through the meal the first of his surprise room mates staggered down into the dining hall. Squinty eyes spotted the blond and with an elastic flop only managed through the lack of muscle control achieved by excessive drinking, the pink haired girl oozed into the chair and dumped her head onto the table with a thump.

Swallowing, Naruto grunted a good morning to her as the next fork full zoomed in.

A pitiful moan from the girl made the teen chuckle as her head lolled to the side. "How are you functioning after last night? I swear that man with you made you drink twice as much as all of us!"

Burping quietly, the cheeky blond shrugged and grinned at his hapless partner. "Just got a good metabolism. Pretty lucky."

Tears began running down the girl's cheeks as her head gave a mighty throb. "Please share some of that with me, just even for a few minutes? I swear I'm dying here! I've never felt so sick in my life!"

A thump and moan from the next girl to arrive duplicated her sister as she hiccupped and wept. "Why am I not dead yet? What did I do to deserve this level of pain?"

Naruto pondered them with a fork sticking out of his lips. Swallowing, he pointed the utensil at them. "So who's who again?"

The one on the left muttered, "Kelly" while the other moaned, "Sally."

"Right." Gasping the afore mentioned bell, Naruto summoned his eccentric waiter with a crisp chime and pointed at the incapacitated girls. "Got any miracle cure?"

Chuckling to himself, the man nodded. "For their hangover or chronic bed hair?" He muffled a laugh at his own joke, oblivious to the flat look Naruto gave him. "Yes, we have something perfect for this. Though I'm surprised you don't need it too."

Dashing away, the third girl and Gildarts finally staggered in. Shelly slumped onto her sisters and mewed weakly while the tall male found a pot plant and emptied his guts into it. For all that though when he was done he was looking perfectly ok. Dropping down with the group, he grinned widely and slapped Naruto on the back. "Well I'll be damned my boy. Triplets! Who knew!"

Snorting, Naruto shook his head. "I dunno what you're thinking but all we did was sleep."

"Oh." Though slightly deflated, the rusty man still grinned widely in pride. "Still! What an achievement." He then left briefly to unleash a pungent burp. Wiping his mouth as he sat back down, he grabbed all the glasses off the surprised waiter's plate and sank whatever it was straight down.

"S-Sir! This was for the ladies suffering a hangover!"

Ignoring the flustered man, Gildarts slapped the mugs down and shooed him away. "Best get another one for them then because I'm just as drunk as them and needed that."

Unable to reply, the man blinked several times before leaving as commanded.

Relative silence then settled over the table, only the occasional slurp from Naruto, moan from the girls or burp from Gildarts breaking the quiet. That pretty much set the standard for the rest of the meal too with neither Gildarts nor the girls wanting any food, them content to just endure the nausea.

Finally finishing up, Naruto patted his stomach and sighed contentedly. Whatever the concoction was that was fed to the girls must have worked since they were looking a bit more human and actually holding their heads up. Gildarts meanwhile pushed himself to his feet and nibbled a strand of hair from his beard. "Well, I'm about ready to get started back to Fairy Tail, what do you say?"

"So that's what we're doing then huh?" As he patted Naruto on the back, the blond looked over at the girls. "What are you three doing then? Coming back?"

Sally slowly shook her head as she massaged her temples. "Sadly… we have to stay here for a bit longer. Our contract with 8Island ends in a week and could be extended." She sighed and a sob broke through. "I have to start work in two hours too. Oh I am so not looking forward to this."

"Well, that'll teach you for drinking so much next time!"

"It's all your fault we're hungover in the first place!" The chorus of pained cries did nothing to wipe the cheery grin off Gildarts face as he rubbed his tummy. "Thanks too for letting us crash in your room. Saved us from sleeping on the streets."

Shelly glared up at him dangerously as her sisters returned their heads to the table. "We were bringing Naruto home, you just happened to follow. If we hadn't we'd probably be still out there being dragged around after you."

"Hmm, that explains why I woke up outside."

"No, you passed out there. Though yes, you would have been kicked out, you were way too rowdy."

"No harm done then!" Striding around and slapping the girl's shoulder, she cried out in pain as the oblivious man trundled off to get his things. "I'll meet you at the train station about midday Naruto. Don't get lost!"

Not bothering to reply, the blond turned back to the triplets and shrugged. "Ignore him, he's been away on a mission for three years. Socially awkward."

They each let out a groan and sighed. "Whatever, he's gone, we're happy."

"Yeah, I mean, we half slept with you so that's a pretty good night by our books."

"Just a shame we all passed out before anything else could be done."

The blond looked at them quietly as he processed the statements. "…At the same time?"

They all made a funny face and the middle one, Sally, quickly answered, "Yuck, no, those are my sisters you're talking about. We might be triplets but we're not that close."

Kelly's mouth filled with bile at the thought (plus hangover) and she dashed off to the toilet. Shelly meanwhile nodded in hearty agreement and chipped in, "I have no idea what you were thinking but ew. Besides, you can do that **Thought Projection** trick, we'd all be happy with one each."

"Ah." They caught him out there. Maybe he could leave them something? It wasn't like he was actively trying to avoid them either, he was just busy. Hearing a shuffle from behind him, Naruto looked over to see Kelly returning, her long hair looking limp and thin and her green eyes pinched and lined. The blond seriously wondered if they were ok to work. "Come on, let's get you three back to bed. Get some more sleep before work."

XxXxXxX

The group arrived over an hour late to 8Island, but all it took was one look from Yajima to swing the girls around and send them straight back home. There was no way he was risking a nasty morning after surprise in his lovely restaurant.

Tucking the sickly girls in again, Naruto stood up and stretched. "Well, I gotta be heading off. I have to report back to the Old Man."

A hand reached out from under the covers and weakly grasped his own. "Do you really have to be going?"

"Yeah, can't leave Gildarts waiting." His gaze softened though as the three whimpered sickly. Taking his hand back, he crossed his fingers and a puff of smoke briefly obscured the room. Once clear, each girl let out a happy little cry when they saw three teens all moving around to sit with each of them. "That should help. They'll stay until you feel better. Ok?"

"Yes, thank you! Thank you so much!"

Each clone was then dragged onto each bed and their lap put to good use as a pillow. Chuckling, the blond flicked the light off and closed the door. Looking up at the clock on the wall, his eyes then widened as he realised the time. Forgoing the stairs, Naruto jumped the railing and landed with a thump. The last person he wanted to see though was standing before him, hands clasped in joy and his smile as wide as ever. "I know you're in a hurry to leave but can I please just ask one more thing of you?"

"Argh, so long as it's quick."

The waiter beamed at him before quickly pulling out an edition of the Sorcerer magazine. "Can I please get your signature? I apologise for not asking sooner but I know you've been busy."

Blinking in surprise, Naruto nodded. He hadn't really been expecting the reason for the man's overly accommodating attitude was because he was a fan. "Uh, sure I can do that. Who do I make it out to?"

"Richard, at your service!"

Quickly scratching down his signature and a small note, Naruto passed the book back. The excited squeal from Richard made the blond wince slightly as he gave him a wave. "Well, best be off then. Maybe see you around!"

Dashing out the door, an excited voice followed him exclaiming, "I'd have never expected I'd get the opportunity to serve the Orange Rocket of all people!"

There was a solid thump and curse from Naruto as he tripped over his feet in disgust.

XxXxXxX

The two men sat quietly in the train, trying to be as small and unnoticeable as possible. The reason for this was a long line of destruction caused by Gildarts on the way to the station, the careless man consistently forgetting his power and walking through pretty much anything that got in his way. He even had to reconstruct a few people that unintentionally stepped in front of him. He was given a very wide berth after that.

The law enforcement were quick to jump on him though and arrest him angrily. Eventually they let him go though because every time they put bindings on his wrist he'd snap them within a minute or two. There was a harsh warning on him with scouts to watch him leave and a letter sent back to his guild invoicing them for all the damage.

Finally reaching the train, they sat down and tried their best not to make eye contact with anyone. Finally Naruto broke the silence and muttered, "I take it this happens a lot?"

The rusty man nodded and dipped his head slightly. "Yeah. Normally it's not an issue because Fairy Tail had an account set up for this. I'm not sure how much is left in it though after 3 years of me being away." He dipped his head into his hands. "I don't have enough funds to cover that if the Master decides I should pay for it as punishment!"

Naruto blinked. The Master would make him do something like that? The Master _could_ make him do something like that? Swallowing, Naruto wondered just how powerful that old midget really was.

"Ah well! It'll sort itself out, not worth worrying myself over." Easily pulling himself from the depressive state, Gildarts leant back and sighed. "I wonder what the guild is like now. I bet there are tons of new people to meet too. What's it like?"

Naruto opened his mouth but a hand quickly clamped it shut. "No wait don't tell me! It should be a surprise. Hmmm, I'm so excited! Hey, are there any new babes there?"

Naruto angrily muffled something under the hand as he tried to wrench it away. "Ahhh I bet there are some absolute stunners hanging around now. Big tits, tight body's, that's the Fairy Law, if you catch my drift."

A wink and elbow to the ribs didn't really amuse the blond who was still trying to release himself from the tight hold on his face as Gildarts laughed loudly. Finally having enough, he charged his forearm with chakra and chopped down on the hand holding him. It broke the grip but didn't seem to hurt the older man who continued to guffaw openly. Growling, Naruto swung a kick into Gildarts shins. That got a reaction.

"Ouch! Mind those toes of yours, they're hard!"

"Yeah well so are your fingers! Be careful dattebayo!"

"What the hell does that mean?" Pain forgotten, Gildarts cocked his head at Naruto's odd speech quirk.

"Oh… um, it's just something in a different language." The boy looked away evasively, unsure of how to properly explain his trademark oddity.

That was the wrong thing to say though as Gildarts eyes lit up and he leant in. "Oh wow, really? What language is it? I've never heard anything like it before!"

"Uh, well it's not from around here. Not anywhere within a good thousand kilometres."

"I'd say, what do you call it?"

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto pondered the question. Come to think of it, there wasn't really a name to it! "Well, I can't tell you since everyone where I come from just speaks it. Huh."

Grinning widely, Gildarts slapped his knee. "Well tell me more about your hometown! I bet it's super different to what we have here in the way of culture and stuff."

'You have no idea.' Chuckling awkwardly, the blond tried to wave the question away. "Oh, I could but it's a long story."

Gildarts checked his non-existent watch and shrugged. "We still have a few hours on this ride, what better time than now?"

A faint frown tugged at Naruto's features. He didn't really feel like telling someone he only met a few days ago more about everything that had happened. Gildarts was a Fairy Tail member though so someone would probably tell him about it and he'd rather it come from the horse's mouth than a second hand story. He shuddered at the thought of what sort of story Natsu could concoct. Sighing, the blond nodded and leaned back into his seat. He didn't have to tell the older male everything just yet but he may as well fill him in. "Fine, settle yourself down then, this will take a while."

XxXxXxX

"So you're the most powerful _Genin _who's ever been produced from your home village? And you single handedly saved the entire world there?"

"Yup!"

Gildarts let out a breath of awe at his younger companions exploits in his home world of the Elemental Nations. Sure, Naruto may have exaggerated a little but that's what makes a good story better, right? The pair were currently walking through the trees on the outskirts of the town on Gildarts request once he realised the story wouldn't be finished before they arrived home. The air was fresh and the trees alive with bird song so it was a rather pleasant way to end the journey.

A hand thumped down on the top of his blond head and roughly tussled the locks as Gildarts openly. "Well I'll be! Who would ever expect such an outlandish story! You could be the strongest person in the whole guild if that's the case. Ah Fairy Tail, you only ever draw the finest of mages!"

"Ninja." Naruto corrected.

"Right, ninja." Nodding in confirmation, Gildarts then lifted his head as a soft chime started in the distance.

Hearing it too, Naruto cocked his ear and placed a hand around it. "What is that? Bells?"

The taller man grinned and hoisted his bags position over his shoulder. "Yeah, that's Magnolia. I only ever hear those bells as I'm coming home. It's pretty nostalgic to be honest."

"Only when you're coming home?"

The mage shrugged. "Yeah, can't work out for the life of me why though. Maybe they just do it because I'm always away so long so they like to welcome me home?"

Eyes twinkling, Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, that has to be it! Damn, I'll have to set something up like that for myself when I become _Hokage_ back home."

Gildarts puzzled for a moment before snapping his fingers. "That meant Fire Shadow, right?"

"Sure did and I'll be the next one for sure!" The teens iron will glinted in his eyes, his tight fist raised up to his face. "They won't ever have another one as freaking awesome as me. I swear on it."

XxXxXxX

Striding into the town, Naruto looked around in confusion as he tried to work out what had happened. The usual town of Magnolia had been completely rearranged somehow, everything having been lifted up on these massive stone walls. It almost appeared like they were now walking though a drainage spillway, but how it was built so damn quickly was far beyond the ninja.

The difference though was that instead of just a regular stone floor, it was paved professionally with a prime cut of sandstone; decorative black stones right in the middle of the path every twenty feet or so with a pink arrow elaborately crafted into it pointing directly at the Fairy Tail guild.

Looking about in surprise, Naruto gawked up at Gildarts, unable to work out why the mage was so calm with this. "What is going on? What happened to everything?"

The rusty man just shrugged and scratched his head. "Dunno. It's always like this when I come home. Maybe it's some festival that I don't know about or celebration? This place is always coming up with any reason possible to party."

"Hmmm…" Naruto nodded awkwardly as he thought about the town. They certainly did like to get down but something this immense?

"Meh, whatever, I'm just happy to be home."

Laughing, Gildarts nodded as they reached the impressive entrance to their home guild. "You can say that again!"

Striding in, Naruto was surprised to be facing the entire family, all beaming widely at the man beside him. Unsure as to what was going on, Naruto looked up at his partner. He on the other hand was looking around in confusion, frustration setting in as he tried to recognise the place.

"GILDARTS! FIGHT ME!"

Resisting the urge to slap the boy, Naruto instead dropped his head into his palm. 'There's Natsu.'

A sigh drew Naruto's head up though and Gildarts stomped into the hall. Coming up to Mirajane, the mage cocked an eyebrow. "Hey there little miss, I'm looking for a guild that goes by Fairy Tail… it should be around here somewhere."

Giggling the way she usually did, the white haired girl swept an arm about in a warm gesture. "Gildarts, this is Fairy Tail. You're standing in it. And it's me, Mirajane!"

The mage looked at her blankly as her face sunk in. His eyes widened rapidly though as he recognised her and he let out a surprised shout. "No way! You're that little hellion? Damn, you look nothing like I remember!" His head then whipped around excitedly as he observed the massive stone room. "And you guys rebuilt the whole place? What have you been up to while I've been gone?"

Blinking, Naruto jogged outside and looked up. Yup, the massive sign that clearly read 'Fairy Tail' was still stuck firmly in place. Not sure how Gildarts managed to miss it, the teen jogged back inside to see the auburn haired man catch Natsu mid-flight and launch him into the ceiling with absolutely no effort. "I'll fight you later ok? I'm just tired at the moment."

Despite having just been embedded into solid stone, Natsu grinned widely and let out a relieved sigh. "That's our Guildarts! It's good to have you home!"

Various other cries of welcome began raining down on him and the man started laughing. "Wow, what a reception! There are a lot of new faces here too, I'll have to meet you all later."

Standing off to the side as Gildarts was swamped by everyone, Naruto felt someone wander up beside him and nudge him with their hip. "So what are you doing returning with the strongest member of Fairy Tail huh?"

Naruto blinked before turning to face a softly smiling Erza. "He's the strongest?" Looking back over at Gildarts, he had to admit that he sure hadn't seen anyone tougher than him so far. As for the scarlet's question though, "Ah-ha, that's a bit of a long story probably saved for the Master's ears ya know? Safest thing I can say is that I bumped into him on the way home and we joined forces."

Nodding knowingly, the woman grabbed the blonde's head and smashed it into her breastplate with a solid clang. "It's good to have you home in any case. I'm glad you're not hurt."

Letting go, Naruto recoiled slightly and held his throbbing temple, willing the pain to subside. That wasn't something he was ever going to get used to.

"Master! Long-time no see!"

"Gildarts my boy, how are you? How'd the quest go?"

As the room hushed rapidly to hear his answer, Naruto wondered how they would react to the truth. It was quiet for a few seconds before Gildarts broke out into awkward laughter and messed up his hair. "Ah, no good! I got absolutely destroyed."

A collective gasp of shock and horror whispered through the mages as they struggled to comprehend how _the_ strongest mage in the entire guild had managed to be so convincingly beaten. Murmurs of disbelief washed around as the man in question continued. "Yeah, sorry about that, I wrecked the guild's good name."

Sighing, the Master shook his head. "No, no, it's good that you've returned. If anything you've boosted out name. From what I understand you're the first person ever to actually come back alive from this thing."

A smug grin crept onto the mages face. "Well that's ok then." He then yawned widely and turned. "Well, I think I'm gonna go home. Haven't been there in three years and I'm dog tired. Oi Natsu, come see me a bit later. Got a souvenir for you." Looking over at Naruto, he gave him a wave. "Well my friend, it has been a pleasure meeting you. I'll catch up with you later. Until then!"

The mage then proceeded to walk into a wall. It was the wall however that gave way, the stone structure bowing greatly under the power of the man before it exploded into small cube shaped chunks and was blown away. Suddenly Naruto realised it may have been a different reason than a celebration for that town shift whenever Gildarts returned home.

As relative normality returned to the guild Naruto found himself face to face with a few of the members, their keen eyes all staring at him in question and wonder. "So how did _you_ manage to team up with a guy like him? He's the toughest guy in the whole guild! Probably the world!"

Taking the chance for some well-deserved bragging, Naruto just grinned and shrugged. "Hey, what can I say, they best are drawn to me because I'm simply better. Perfection is a position everyone strives for right?"

A loud snort of disbelief answered that with Wakaba pointing a finger at him. "We highly doubt that. You're good but not Gildarts good."

Naruto wasn't given a chance to reply though as his head was pulled into another hug, this time into something _much _softer than before. "Welcome home Naruto! I do hope you kept yourself safe!"

The blond peeked open an eye and surveyed the various states of jealousy from the men before him as Mirajane hugged him close. Grinning cruelly, the blond wriggled in closer. "Oh, I got a few cuts and bruises, but nothing that wont heal up in a few days."

This was obviously false since his healing factor was mighty fine, but Mirajane began dotting over him regardless, much to the frustration of Naruto's crowd. Eventually they all began to turn away, knowing they wouldn't get much more information out of him with the resident beauty all over him. Chuckling to himself as they stomped away, his face was captured between a pair of soft hands and his eyes tilted down to look into a cross face. "What are you laughing about? And what did you mean, cuts and bruises? You're perfectly fine!"

Removing the hands from his face, Naruto patted the pouting girl and grinned widely. "Would you believe me if I said I just said it to get a bit of attention?"

Frowning, the girl looked away slightly as the light dusting of a blush crossed her nose. "Well you could have just asked you know…"

"Naruto! Come here my boy!"

Looking over, the old Master of the guild was waving at him, a mug of beer in one hand and another beside him. Ruffling Mira's hair to her disgust, Naruto chuckled and let her go before she could smack him. "Sorry about that, we'll have to catch up later."

Sighing as she futilely tried to fix her hair, the girl shook her head. "You're lucky this time mister. You better make it up to me."

Nodding cheerily, Naruto waved over his shoulder as he wandered over to the old man.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – so here I am again after a fairly long wait. As an apology, I give you an extra meaty serving of one of your most favourite stories =D _

_I haven't really got much in the way of personal updates either, just been busy with life lifing and stuff. I do have a couple of announcements though if you'd care to read._

_The first is that myself and **Egyption God Phoenix** are possibly looking at doing a collaborative NxFT oneshot that could potentially be extremely cool. There's no set date or anything for this coming out but we've had a chat already and fleshed out a few ideas. _

_Next is a shout out for an extremely talented author who is struggling to gain the reviews they deserve in a tricky category. If any of you know the Light Novel '**Mondaiji-taichi**' or, '**Problem Children From Another World**', you'd be delighted to know that one author by the name of **Starlight AT** has written 3 fantastic stories that I strongly recommend reading. They are all related to each other and the first one is called '**A Game of Memory**'. Do do her a favour and check them out as they are really quite good._

_Finally, I need to announce that I will have a side project starting after this chapter. It is in the Pokemon category and it's a decision I've come to make for an old friend of mine who goes by the pen name **Twilight Equinox**. I first joined this site back in 2006 (Holy crap, 9 years stuck on here. Damn) and he was one of the first authors I ever read anything from. He had this fantastic story called **Hybrids: Outbreak** going on that was just absolutely enthralling. He was writing at a fantastic pace right up until the last chapter and then… nothing. Not a word, not a peep, not anything. At the very last chapter of his amazing story he vanished. I have absolutely no idea what happened to him but still to this day I'm extremely sad that he was never given the chance to finish his masterpiece. With that in mind, I've decided to tackle his final chapter and hopefully give it its final send off the way it deserved. So keep an eye out for it in the future because that will be happening at some point. _

_Anyway, I apologise for the delay once again and I hope you all enjoyed!_

_Do leave me a note if the chapter moved you to do so._

_Thanks,  
>Lanky Nathan<em>


	35. Chapter 35

The door to the Master's room swung close with a soft click. The lock rustled close with the jiggle of a key before it was slipped into Makarov's breast pocket. Humming to himself, the short mage wandered over to his chair and hopped up onto it. Raising his refilled mug of beer to Naruto in a one sided cheers, the elder took a swig, exhaled happily and leant back. "So! You might have only been gone a short while but I've already heard some odd tales involving you. I do hope you haven't been up to too much mischief."

Chuckling awkwardly, Naruto scratched his cheek. "Well… about that…"

Sighing despondently, the old man rubbed his thumb and index fingers into his eyes. "I know that look. Why can't you irritating youth ever do anything without getting into all forms of trouble?"

"Heh-heh, yeah, sorry about that. My trip wasn't too bad though collateral wise! That was all Gildarts."

This drew a groan from Makarov as his head fell backwards onto the headrest. "You're telling me there's more damage reports? Actually, what am I even saying, this is Gildarts we're talking about. The maniac has been destroying things right from when he punched his way out of the womb."

Naruto's eyes stretched in amazement as he took the statement literally. Noticing, the old man waved a hand at him dismissively. "Ignore that, Gildarts' mother was perfectly fine. The birth was fairly normal, save for the doctor losing a tooth from a stray fist. Enough about those matters though, time for you to fill me in on your travels and what you found out about your little problem."

The thought of a baby Gildarts punching a doctors' tooth out drew a snort from Naruto as he began. "Well, yeah I guess we'll start after I left. I headed for the old council tower and managed to find old Yajima-san on the way. He says hi by the way."

Makarov nodded as if accepting the greeting from the man himself. "Hello to you too. Gotta catch up with that old coot sometime."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, he's got that new restaurant happening down at Hargeon. 8Island. Makes a mean feed. Anyway, so I had a chat with him about everything and yeah, he pointed me north to some strange happenings up that way. While I'm thinking about it, Lucy and all them were up there?"

"Yeah they were," came the snorted reply, "and they were really confused about what you were doing, especially being beaten nearly to death. Explanation?"

The blond bit his lip. "Ah, yeah we'll get to that. So yeah, I went off to sort out that but first I ducked in to see Ultear. I promised her that I'd come visit her. So I did see her and you have no idea the kind of conditions they were keeping her in! She was like a caged animal. I know she deserved it but I still think it was a bit harsh. Anyway –"

"You broke her out and took her sightseeing?"

Naruto's train of thought stalled as Makarov's sly comment slipped in. Blinking, the blond then shook his head vehemently. "No, no! I don't know what you were told but while I was in there the power was all shut down and this little robot girl called Meredy went off her nut and attacked me. Turns out they are a part of this dark guild called Grimoire Heart and they escaped and –"

Interrupting again, Makarov stopped the torrent of information with, "Hold up there boy, this sounds a bit more important than just a few bare details. So, this Meredy is in league with Ultear and her dark guild? We already have information on this Grimoire Heart but not too much. Can you fill me in more about that?"

Huffing, Naruto held out a hand to back up his words. "I was getting there but ok. So the leader is this real tall old guy called Hades. Know him?"

The Master hummed to himself as he looked down contemplatively. "Rumours of the name but nothing too concrete till now. Anything else?"

"Yeah sure, but promise not to interrupt till the end? Just so I don't forget anything."

An affirmative nod started Naruto's speech again. "Right, so Meredy had attacked me and she had this weird sensory link magic that Ultear used to knock me out by making her pass out. It pretty much works both ways so if you hurt yourself she gets hurt too. So anyway, I was really fortunate that they didn't try kill me while I was asleep. I put that down to the goodness still somewhere in Ultear. I lapsed though so don't worry, it didn't happen again." Naruto quickly appeased the concerned eyebrow that was raised high on the Masters' forehead.

"So, while I was trying to find them the Kyuubi's power decided to freak out again. This was a good thing though as before I left the destroyed building the guards didn't recognise me, so no ties to Fairy Tail!" His wide grin elicited a breath of relief from Makarov.

"Anyway, I put the chase on them and caught up in good time. This is where it gets interesting. While covered in the Kyuubi's cloak, I put the squeeze on them and discovered that they're trying to resurrect Zeref. They need to recover the keys to revive him though and before you worry, Gildarts took good care of that when I met him. So as I was interrogating them, their guild came to retrieve them. Their actual base is this giant airship that's powered by Hades. It's really, really impressive to be honest. I didn't find that out until after I snuck on board. So – AH!"

Naruto held up a finger and cut off Makarov who looked like he was about to explode. The little man was positively burning at the thought of one of his brats steeling away in one of the most powerful dark guilds known in current times. Remembering his promise though, he pinched his lips tight shut and crossed his arms, clearly unhappy with the proceedings. This didn't faze Naruto in the least though as he continued. "But before I snuck on board, Hades managed to teleport Ultear and Meredy up onto the ship while leaving me to fight one of their top mages. His name was Zancrow and I think from what he said, he was a God Slayer?"

Realising Naruto was looking for confirmation, Makarov nodded. "There are such mages in the world. Incredible strength usually accompanies their title. I hear he's recovering in hospital, though he's only just been kept alive from last I heard."

The blond tisked his tongue in annoyance. "Yeah, so I heard. I had to go all out on him and I swear I ended him. I guess he was a top mage for a reason."

Pausing, Naruto then considered the scroll he received. To be honest he'd kind of forgotten all about it in the hecticness of the last week. Withdrawing his sealing scroll, he placed it on the table. Makarov looked at it questioningly as Naruto elaborated. "I also got this and another note from home while I was out. They have worked out how the dimensions flow and have given me a time limit of sorts for my home trip."

"Oh, that's wonderful my boy!" The single clap from the elder complimented his smile. "So, how long did they say?"

"Well that's the thing, there is no real measurable time, it's just when our dimensions draw close enough for them to summon me home. I just have to… oh crap."

Makarov raised an eyebrow. Naruto shook his head and stuck his tongue out sheepishly. "Yeah, just forgot something I had to do for the guys back home to help them gauge how far apart we are."

"And what is that?"

"I… you know what, did you want to see?" Naruto looked sidelong at the old man, already knowing the answer.

"Most certainly! Any chance to see your incredible abilities would be a treat, especially with first class seats like this."

Standing, Naruto grinned as he stretched his fingers. "I thought you'd say that. Got any bugs around here you need to get rid of?"

"Ah…" caught off guard by the odd question, Makarov paused before pointing to a corner of the roof. "There's a spider that just will not die up there? Doesn't matter what I hit it with it just keeps coming back."

"That'll do. Now watch closely." Biting his finger and drawing blood, the blond then rapidly flicked through some strange hand signs before slamming his palm to the ground. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"**

The Master then let out a gasp of delight as an intricate matrix rolled out across the floor from Naruto's hand before a sudden pop filled his room with smoke. Coughing loudly, Makarov tried to wave it away. He needn't have bothered though as it was suddenly sucked up around Naruto's arm in a tight whirlwind before dispersing. Hearing a croak on the floor, the mage then looked down and was confronted with a toad the size of a cat sitting on the floor.

"_Yo! Anata wa hanasu koto wa dekimasu ka?"_ Looking at Naruto in confusion, Makarov's eyes were quickly drawn back down to the amphibian as it began a throaty speech.

"_H-hai, sukoshi._"

Fist pumping in success, Naruto grinned as he pointed at the summon. "Yes! This is the first one I've been able to summon who can talk!"

Completely boggled with the (literally) out of this world speech, Makarov just stood there as Naruto eagerly continued to converse with the toad. _"Ne, ne, namae wa?"_

With the bubbling voice of something trying to talk underwater, the toad replied, _"Pi."_

Finally gathering his senses, Makarov waved his hands in front of him and shook his head. "Hold up a second there boy, just what are you talking to it about?"

"Oh," Naruto chuckled, "I was just asking if it could even speak and what its name is. Turns out its name is Pi."

Looking down at the small animal, Makarov nodded and asked, "Would you mind letting it know my name and that it's a pleasure to meet it?"

More than happy to oblige, Naruto chirped a happy, "Sure!" before relaying the message. The old man watched on in absolute fascination as the toad nodded in understanding and turned to dip its head in his direction. _"Hajimemashite."_

Naruto gave it a scratch on the head as he translated, "It says it's nice to meet you!"

Makarov nodded silently in reply as the blond danced around a bit more. Eventually though the teen couldn't contain it and picked the surprised toad up and hugged it close, damp skin and all. "Ohhh, you have no idea how much I've missed talking to you guys!"

Sighing long sufferingly, Pi just let Naruto get his emotions out as the teen swung it around. Makarov's face softened as he watched the blonde's joy, a warm feeling rising in his chest. The rest of the guild probably had no idea just how much Naruto missed his home. Eventually the guild master noticed the toad beginning to look rather uncomfortable and called out to the ninja. "Naruto, do you think you should stop? I think Pi's getting motion sickness."

Pausing in his twirls, Naruto glanced down and cringed as he saw Pi's face. _"Oetto, gomen."_

Putting the toad down, the teen then ran over and snatched the spider out of its web before presenting it to Pi. Grinning widely as it happily snatched up the arachnid, Naruto scratched its head again and sighed in contentment, his eyes glowing with fondness as he watched the toad eat. "You know, this means that our dimensions are getting closer together."

Makarov nodded as Naruto spoke in his language. "It's still a bit of a way off, but when I first got here I could hardly summon a tadpole. Being able to summon Pi now though means things are just as they predicted." The blond turned a positively beaming smile to the Master. "I'll be able to go home soon!"

Turning back to the toad, Naruto muttered a few things to the animal before taking its front leg and shaking it. Pi croaked happily and smiled widely before a puff of smoke went up and it vanished. Naruto remained crouched for a few moments longer before standing up slowly. His eyes were glistening a bit as he turned back to the table and he chuckled as he wiped his sleeve over them. "Sorry about that, got a bit misty."

Smiling gently, Makarov just turned and hopped back onto his seat and took another mouthful of his drink. "Nothing to apologise for my boy. If anything I should be thanking you for that wonderful opportunity to see you interact with someone you clearly care so deeply for. It was a real treat."

Chuckling again, Naruto wiped his eyes once more and sniffed as he sat down. "Yeah, I guess. Anyway, I suppose we should get back to the original topic then hey?"

Nodding, a much calmer guild master motioned for the blond to carry on at his leisure. Taking one last breath, Naruto continued. "So I had to summon a toad to check the distance between our dimensions… yeah so from there, I headed for the ship. It had a pretty intense invisibility spell covering it, I had to use a few clones to break it down before I could board it. Once there I scouted the main halls and underbelly of the ship. I followed Ultear to her room…" the blond took a moment to relive the wonders of her room, "and from tracking her, found the keys to Zeref. Once I got them though alarms were tripped and Hades confronted me. An interesting piece of information, Hades actually said that the ship is him, and he it. Any idea what that means?"

Clearly unimpressed with the direction the story was taking, Makarov kept his comments to himself as he pondered Hades proclamation. "I might be able to work something out with time and thought. For now though just continue."

"Yeah, sure, mind if I just grab a drink first?"

XxXxXxX

A mug of soft drink sat before the teen as he shuffled back into his seat. "Right, so where were we…"

"Hades confronting you," came the grunted reply from Makarov, still clearly unimpressed.

"Ah, ok. So while Hades is trying to catch me I distract him with a few of my tricks and manage to get to the exit. Just before I jumped out though I had a bit of a chat with Ultear… that poor girl has some serious deep seated issues." Naruto crossed his arms at this, his eyebrow ticking. "Like, she wants to reset time back to when she was a kid! Granted she's had it tough but I still think with a good talk we could win her over. The only reason she's helping with everything is because she believes Zeref can grant her her wish."

Makarov snorted. "Unlikely. That mage was the pinnacle of destruction and ruin. His cursed items still can be found about today and while far weaker than when created, still hold a tremendous amount of power. It goes to show just how strong he was. As for him actually helping someone with a goal of theirs? You'd have more chance teaching Natsu good hygiene and proper etiquette."

"I know right?" Naruto rolled his eyes as he tapped his head. "The girl has a screw loose up here but I don't think she's bad. Just misguided. I'll be getting her out of there at some point and help show her what she has before her. I promised."

The older man considered Naruto and his conviction for a moment. Eventually coming to a conclusion, he crossed his arms and nodded with finality. "If you really believe that then I will support you. Should you manage to get her away, you can bring her here for protection."

The teen's eyes widened at the completely unexpected offer of support. That quickly turned to a wide smile and an excited jiggle. "That's awesome! Thanks so much! I'll be sure to do that, dattebayo!"

Holding a smile in check, the guild master just waved a hand at him to try calm him down. "Yes, yes, that's ok. Just continue with this story of yours."

A smile still tugged on Naruto's lips as he got on with it as requested. "Well, I'll save getting into too much detail about how I escaped 'cause it drags on a bit. So skip about an hour and I get away from them to finally destroy the keys in a mountain cave I found. However, Grimoire Heart did catch up to me and blocked me in the cave. I'll give you the details of the other members now too as I saw the majority of the top guys there."

The blond then took a moment to sketch out each character, their name and abilities on a pad Makarov pulled out for him. His drawing skills weren't anything to be applauded but if it came down to it, Naruto could always just use **Henge (Transform) **to make up for the sloppy details.

The pencil soon clattered to the table as Naruto continued. "So these guys are all pretty damn tough but I caught them by surprise and knocked them off the mountain. Reason for this was I had a clone sitting in there to vaporise the entire thing with my **Rasenshuriken (Spiralling Shuriken)** once I got away. They –"

"Yes I promised to not interrupt but what was that thing you hit it with?" Makarov had a fair point, the old man had never actually connected the name to the attack.

"You remember that bright ball I shot at Phantom Lord?" Makarov nodded. "That."

The statement drew a whistle from the old man as he sat back. "Wasn't that a bit of overkill? You would have knocked a good chunk of the peak away wouldn't have you?"

Wincing, Naruto nodded at the memory. "Yeah I thought the same thing. And I kinda, maybe made the whole mountain implode…"

He quickly held his hands up as the Master began puffing up in shock. "But, but, but! Let me finish!" Once confident Makarov wasn't going to explode, Naruto carried on. "This is sort of a good and bad thing in that once everyone was out and the keys were destroyed, Hades was super pissed and launched an all-out assault on me. As for the mountain, well Ultear has a freaking crazy, scary ability. She actually managed to rebuild both the mountain and they keys, even after they were destroyed on an atomic level. It was during that time that I met Natsu and Lucy. There was this small blue haired girl there too who was healing me, along with this real grumpy white cat."

Makarov let out a snort. "Yes, Wendy and Charla, her cat. They actually belong to this guild now. Details about the other mission that wouldn't interest you. Now, care to explain why your introduction to them was you impacting like a missile at their feet?"

"Heh, yeah about that." Naruto scratched his head. "The big fat one has that Voodoo ability right? Well he managed to stall me long enough so they could hit me with this massive cannon sticking out the front of it. Honestly, it was really similar to that **Jupiter Cannon **Phantom Lord had."

Hearing a sorry sigh from Makarov, the teen looked at him questioningly. The old man was using both hands to rub his temples as he desperately tried to maintain his cool. "You tell me you got hit point blank with a **Jupiter Cannon**… and survived?"

"Oh! I wasn't quite alone. My Kyuubi Cloak had gone haywire again and helped me out. I might have gotten hit but that took a large chunk of the impact." The Master wasn't looking impressed again so Naruto just got on with it. "With Wendy having helped me out though, I went back to try steal back the reconstructed keys. I did get parts of one, but that's when things really went downhill." He ignored the slap of Makarov's palm meeting his face. "Hades got a hold of me and to be honest, kicked the living crap out of me. I'd have given him a right run for his money if I'd been at full strength but the dirty bastard cheated."

Huffing, the teen crossed his arms as his mood darkened and grumped to himself. "He knew he couldn't beat me so he had to wait till I was weak before laying on the pounding. Cheap."

"Back on topic please?"

Looking up at the Master, Naruto nodded and put his arms on the table. "So Hades was about to finish me when this dirty great boulder smacked into him and sent him to the other side of the forest. Enter Gildarts and the guy managed to get me out of there safely. He then got rid of the keys by throwing them away… and then that brings us to now."

Leaning back as his story finished, Naruto gave the old man time to absorb all the information. Eventually he nodded and sighed. "Well, despite your absolutely reckless dive into possibly the most dangerous thing since Gildarts took on his One Hundred Year quest, you've come out with a great deal of good information in regards to Grimoire Heart. I'll be sure to forward the information on. Did you want to be recognised in the note?"

The blond didn't think twice. "Oh hell yes. I ain't doing all this work just so some other nibbler can take the glory. Besides, Ultear is my catch… mind leaving out the part about how she got the drop on me?"

What he got as answer was a firm shake of the head. "Nope. It's full details with name either attached or not."

Huffing slightly, Naruto wrinkled his nose but conceded. "Fine, but don't make it sound too bad ok?"

Chuckling at the youngsters' pride, the old man shrugged. "I'll see what I can do." Makarov then changed topics and leant in. "Now, about the original reason you went gallivanting off on your own. What did you find out about your problem?"

Nodding, Naruto pursed his lips contemplatively. "Well, I didn't find out what was wrong with me to set that straight. However, I did find out some interesting things that are pointing me in a rather favourable direction."

"Do tell?"

The teen picked his neglected drink up and took a mouthful before continuing. "Well, for starters it's not affecting my thoughts so much anymore. Last time it kicked in I hardly noticed it was even active. The most apparent change though is the colour."

This raised an eyebrow on Naruto's superior. "It's colour you say?"

"Mmm, have a look." Drawing upon a minimal amount of the darker energy swirling around in his middle, Naruto began softly glowing gold, the flickering light casting small shadows across the walls that danced about happily. Not wanting to draw any undesired attention though, Naruto quickly shut it off and nodded at the wide eyed expression of the mage before him. "Quite something, huh?"

"Indeed…" Stroking his chin, Makarov sat back in thought. "And when exactly did this start happening?"

Naruto shrugged. "To be honest I couldn't give you an exact date. The cloak itself abruptly changed a few days ago, but the fox itself has been slowly turning yellow for a while now."

Makarov's eyebrows jumped up his forehead in surprise. "The fox is changing colour?"

"Yeah, and that I have an answer for." As the Master leant in in anticipation, Naruto motioned to the air. "It's actually the Ethernano in the air. From what I understand it was actually absorbing into it and gradually changing its colour. The potency of its chakra hasn't changed, that's still as powerful as ever, but whatever it's doing is what is causing the unexplained cloak appearances. The question now is how exactly is it drawing out the Kyuubi's power and why is the malevolence of it not impacting my thoughts so heavily? As a human not of this world I thought that I wouldn't be able to control it and produce magic. I already tried once with Mira-chan and nothing happened."

"Of all the things," whispered Makarov. "Ethernano. Who would have guessed?"

Naruto let out a breath as he considered the glowing light within him. "It really is something else, this Ethernano."

The old man nodded respectfully. "Indeed it is. For all we don't know about it, it still permeates everything in this world and gives us our way of life. Without it, we'd be lost."

Naruto raised a finger. "Or, have worked out how to use chakra."

Makarov snorted. "If we even have the capacity to do so my boy." Leaning back, the old man then crossed his arms behind his head and kicked his feet up onto the table. "So what now?"

Pondering his next move, Naruto nodded slowly. "Well, since the changes are actually helping me with the fox's abilities this means I can breathe much easier now and not worry that I'll go on a rampage around town. I still want to know why it's causing the cloak to flare up randomly and how it's bypassing the seal that's holding the fox's chakra at bay, because technically nothing should be able to get in or out of that place without it being opened."

Slapping the table, Makarov grabbed his mug and drained the rest of its contents. "Very good, I like that you have some form of a plan in place. What I do like more though is that you're not in any immediate danger." Hopping off his chair, he walked around to Naruto and placed a hand on his leg. "Keep up the good work brat. You're doing well."

Naruto's chest swelled with pride as Makarov walked over to the door and unlocked it. Pulling it open, the small man turned back. "Well, with that good news I think I'll go get another drink to celebrate."

"Yeah meet you down there old man." Chuckling to himself as Makarov grumbled about being labelled old, Naruto took a moment longer to himself. It looked like things really were starting to look up for now. Grinning, the teen slapped his palms to the armrests and vaulted to his feet. He was feeling really good right now so it was time to go see everyone!

Walking through the door, Naruto made it all of three steps when an almighty shriek of "KITTY!" nearly blew his eardrums and a body slammed into him broad side and sent the two of them tumbling down the stairs. Bouncing to a stop, Naruto groaned lowly and raised a hand to his head as he looked down at the now firmly attached body. "Milli? Can't you greet me like a normal person for a change?"

She shook her face into his chest and purred soothingly. "Nooo you're my Kitty. I'd never let anyone else have you, you're mine and mine alone. My Kitty."

"Oh Naruto! Dandy to see you my boy, how's things been?" Looking up the stairs, the square visage of Wally tipped his hat at Naruto and smirked. "I see our resident cat lover has found her favourite person?"

Sighing, Naruto pulled himself up awkwardly with the girl still strapped to his chest. "Yeah, she has a way with greetings. What's been happening?"

Crossing his arms, Wally sighed. "Well as far as how things have been going I'd say just peachy. However, and I speak for my two comrades here, we've been getting restless."

Eyebrows bunching, the blond tilted his head in confusion. "How do you mean? I can't imagine a more vibrant place than this joint."

"It's not that…" Sho's blond hair rose from above Wally's shoulder, his meek eyes meeting Naruto's. "It's that, well we'd been trapped in that wretched tower our whole lives. Granted it's been a fair while since then but compared to the time spent there…"

"You need to get out and explore the world." Naruto finished for him. A small nod was his answer. Naruto's grin wasn't what Sho expected though as the teen began climbing the stairs. "Good! Go out and see what else is out there. I can't imagine what it'd be like to spend your whole life trapped in a cage." He pointedly ignored the deep growl within the recesses of his mind.

That brightened the duo with his understanding. Smiles widening, Wally tipped his hat with thanks. "That's mighty dandy of you to be so reasonable. We were wondering how best to tell you."

The blond teen chuckled as he shuffled Millianna into a more comfortable position. "That's fine. When were you thinking of leaving?"

"Well, now that everyone is here, tomorrow. That at least doesn't drag it all out too long and still gives us enough of a chance to say goodbye."

Naruto then pointed at the girl wrapped around his middle. "And this one?"

Wally chuckled. "You'll have to do a mighty fine job of convincing her you're not coming."

At that her head popped up questioningly. "You're not?"

The teen just pushed her head back into his chest. "Nothing, go back to sleep." He blinked when he got a strange look from the two men. "What? Save that problem for later. For now, let's go give you a proper going away party!"

XxXxXxX

It was in the middle of all the partying and rumpus going on's of the guild that Naruto finally was introduced to the girl who helped save him earlier. He was trying to move Millianna into a more comfortable position when a soft tapping on his shoulder drew his attention. Twisting around, he came face to face with a rosy cheeked Lucy. She smelt like she'd already had a mug or two from the bar. "Naruto! It's about time, I've been trying to catch up with you since you got back. How have you been?"

Settling for the cat-girl clamping herself to his back, Naruto grinned, raised an arm and clenched his biceps. "Good as ever! I gotta say though, it was a surprise seeing you all out in the forest like that. What were you doing out there?"

Giggling, the platinum blond girl smiled at his exuberance. "We were up there on a mission involving an ancient magic called Nirvana." Her smile faded as she remembered the turmoil of it. "It was this crazy thing that swapped the personality of anyone it affected making good evil and evil good."

Raising an eyebrow, Naruto thought back to that weird sense he got while up running away from Hades. "So that's what that feeling was? It felt so yuck."

"Try being right near it!" Exclaimed the girl. "It was horrid! Even with Natsu there, along with the best mages of a couple of other guilds, it was still far too much stress." Mock tears began running down her cheeks. "I don't know why they send me on these kind of missions. I'm more suited to photo shoots and modelling! All this rolling in the dirt with the strongest mages in the world is _so_ not my cup of tea."

She sobbed for a moment before composing herself. "So what were you doing up there? And looking so badly beaten up at that? I thought you were dead when you crash landed!" She then punched his shoulder. "And that's for nearly crashing into me!"

Ignoring the tap, the teen chuckled and scratched his head. "Well, let's just say I had a run in with some super powerful and persistent mages. If I hadn't been lucky enough to bump into you guys up there I doubt things would have turned out as well as they did. Come to think of it, where's the girl who saved me? I need to say thanks."

Smiling brightly, Lucy stepped out of the way and motioned to a shock of blue hair behind her. "Oh?"

The head tipped up to reveal a set of worried eyes and a nervously pinched mouth. "H-hello…"

Her outfit had changed from what he remembered. The only things on her arms were thin yellow clasps around her biceps. Her dress was a sleeveless piece held up around her neck by a small gold clasp. The fabric cascaded down her chest with various blue, green and yellow stripes dipping away diagonally from the clasp. From that the rest of her dress was checked green fabric that somewhat matched the pattern of Natsu's scarf. It finished at her knees, revealing a set of leather anklets sitting above a pair of simple sandals.

"It's a p-pleasure to meet you, my name is Wendy Marvell. I… I actually asked Lucy to introduce me as I wanted to know if you were OK. Please excuse the intrusion!" She dipped her head again, confidence all used up in her introduction.

She then squeaked as Naruto's broad palm landed on her hair and ruffled it. "Hey, it's fine! I have to thank you for that anyway, I'd have been toast otherwise. That's a really nifty trick you have there."

Blushing, the girl began poking her index fingers together and looked anywhere that wasn't Naruto's face. "T-thank you. That's my magic, I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer. I'm not much use in battle, but I can help out from the sidelines!"

That drew a whistle from the taller teen. "Wow, another one? What's that, 3 Dragon Slayers now? We're growing our collection." He sent her a wink. "Though you're easily the cutest."

That sent the girl into overdrive and her beet red face began overheating as steam whistled from her ears. Laughing at her embarrassment, Naruto hefted Millianna around before extending a hand. "In any case, it is a pleasure to meet you. Uzumaki Naruto, at your service."

Tentatively taking his hand, she shook it once and let go.

"Oi! Don't think a ruffian like you can so casually shake Wendy's hand! Have you even washed yourself today?"

Blinking at the accusation that assaulted him, Naruto looked around for the voice.

"Down here, moron."

Turning his gaze down, he finally spotted the source of the insults. Wendy's proper little friend came stomping in as best a cat her size could, paws on her hips and a _highly _disapproving look on her face. "Oh, sorry about that. The only thing as small as you around here is Happy and he's always in the air."

The cat grunted indignantly and crossed her paws. "Don't compare me to that dirty thing. I know for certain he hasn't had a bath in weeks."

She then opened an eye and looked up at Naruto expectantly. "So, who are you? You insulted me before you even asked me my name last time we met."

Naruto clicked his fingers. "Oh yeah, that's right I called you Snaggletooth!" Instantly the soft downy white fur all over the cat bristled. Ignoring that, Naruto knelt down and extended his hand. "Uzumaki Naruto. And you are?"

He got a scratched hand for that attempt. "Charla. That is how you will refer to me from now on and you will maintain a distance of three feet from myself and Wendy at all times. Understood?"

"Sure thing Toothy!" And Naruto promptly stepped in to ruffle Wendy's hair as she began fretting over Charla's tirade.

"Don't stress it Wendy, she's cool! Right?"

The cat magically produced a set of wings and promptly flew up to slap Naruto's hand off Wendy's head. "I most certainly am not 'cool' as you barbarians say! I swear, you are testing my patience like no one I have ever met! If you do once more thing to violate us, so help me I'll…"

Threat hanging potent in the air, Naruto backed up slightly. Charla smiled as her demand was obeyed, eyes narrowing in satisfaction. Naruto meanwhile just tapped Millianna on the head. "Meow?"

Looking up questioningly, Naruto just pointed at the new cat.

Time seemed to slow down as Millianna looked around and locked eyes with Charla. The small cat tilted her head questioningly as Naruto began to feel the girl attached to him build up a massive breath of air. Before anyone could move, the brunette unleashed a mighty scream of "KITTY!' and rainbows and stars and sparks and fireworks went off as she kicked clean off Naruto's chest to crash tackle the mortified cat out of the air.

"WHAT IS THIS? UNHAND ME YOU BRUTE!"

Charla's shrieking complaints were completely ignored by the cat-freak as her face was rubbed deep into the softness of Charla's cheek. Squeals of bliss permeated the air as equally loud shouts of complaint joined them to increase the already impressive noise of the guild.

"Charla!" Standing there worriedly, Wendy looked on in concern as her best friend was molested, wondering just what to do to save her. Naruto fixed that problem by coming up behind both her and Lucy and wrapping an arm around both their shoulders. "Come on, let's go enjoy the festivities. These two seem like they have a lot going on here."

"But –"

"Ah-ah, no buts! Leave them be. We'll come back later." Having cut Wendy off abruptly, Naruto then turned them around and guided the girls towards the bar, Wendy staring back over her shoulder in worry.

"I will severely scratch you when I get my paws on you next time, Uzumaki! Mark my words!"

Naruto laughed at the furious promise and disappeared into the crowd with a merry, "Have fun with that, Snaggletooth!"

Charla's frantic shriek of rage only served to draw more laughter from the maddening blond wretch as he guided her ward away.

XxXxXxX

The tree seemed to sing soft nothings to the blond reclining in the bough of one of its thick branches. His hair rustled along with the rest of the mammoth tree as a gentle breeze blew through the now quiet town. Closing his eyes as the murmur of people in the distance, Naruto sighed contentedly as one leg swung lazily over the edge of his perch. It had been quite a wonderful day, seeing everyone again and that mighty party afterwards to bid Erza's old friends farewell. It had really been something to remember and those three definitely felt the Fairy Tail love in the way of so much booze they bloated up like balloons and more spot fights than you can poke a stick at. Even now Cana was still in there refusing to let the party die, sinking barrel after barrel of liquor by herself and chanting loud war cries. Most had crept back to their respective caves though as it was still the middle of the week. All in all, it had turned into a very pleasant night.

Mirajane had offered him a place to stay but the teen could see that after the hearty party she was absolutely exhausted. He had declined and internally grinned when he saw through her fake pout, a measure of relief hiding behind it. It had been a smart move. There were many other options available but something within the teen had called him to the big old tree in the middle of the town. So after a quiet walk by himself he found himself sitting high above the streets by himself, one arm used as a pillow, the other gently fingering his headband and saints badge alternatively. Home time was certainly drawing closer as the days passed and butterflies were brewing within his stomach. Grinning widely, Naruto clenched his eyes shut and stretched all four limbs to the sky in excitement.

"I'm coming home guys, just you wait!"

Hearing a scratching from the trunk of the tree, Naruto paused mid-stretch and looked over. Millianna had been scaling the branches and her eyes were now positively glowing as she caught Naruto in a cat-playing-with-yarn pose. The blond couldn't even sigh before she hurtled into him squealing in adoration as she rubbed her head into his chest. Rolling his eyes, Naruto made sure to fasten himself to the tree so they both didn't plummet to the ground. "Milli-chan, you're gonna have to leave me room for my lungs to work you know?"

The girl didn't seem to answer as she just rubbed her face into his jacket. Trying to breathe was a bit of a challenge so tapping the girl on her head, Naruto asked her again. What he didn't expect was the soft sob that choked out when he tapped her.

"Oi, oi, oi, what's wrong?" Pulling himself upright, Naruto pulled the girl away and looked into her moist eyes. "What's gone and gotten you all wound up?"

The catlike girl sniffed and looked away. "I know we are going tomorrow and that you can't come… but… but I'm just gonna miss you so much!"

Her eyes turned away as she wiped them with her palm, her sensitive nose twitching irritably.

"That's OK, but what about Erza though? Don't you want to spend the last night with her? You have known her longer after all." Naruto's question was as soft as possible to not aggravate the female. Her head shaking though answered that question.

"I spent a while with Erza while you were gone. However I didn't even know if I'd have a chance to see you before we left! Tonight she said go and find you because of that." She tucked herself back into Naruto's chest and shivered. "So let me stay the night?"

Looking down at the poor thing, Naruto let a smile tug his lips. To be needed and wanted so much was something he could easily get used to. Having this little toaster offer to be his blanket wasn't something he could pass up either. So shuffling himself down, his arm became his pillow again as the other now began running fingers through the girls' hair. Hearing her breathing even out, Naruto chuckled and closed his eyes. It truly was a pleasant night.

XxXxXxX

The next morning drew only the close friends Wally, Sho and Millianna had made at Fairy Tail to the outskirts of the village. Naruto was hanging out the back with Natsu, the downtrodden boy pouting heavily after being thumped into place by Erza for acting up. The large bump on his head pulsed painfully as a reminder not to slip up again.

The dominant female of the guild meanwhile was standing with her childhood friends, exchanging last minute hugs and words. Naruto's own goodbye with Millianna this morning had taken so long that they nearly wound up late. That girl had an impossibly powerful grip when she wanted. There were a few wet eyes here and there as she finally stepped back. "Well, I'm so glad you could stay with us for the time you have but the time has come for you to go out and find your own ways, your own adventures."

The soft murmuring stilled as Erza's powerful voice took command. "Keep your will strong and never waver in your goals, no matter the opposition. You will always be a valued member of our family, but for people leaving the guild I have three critical rules I'm obliged to relate."

As she said this, the mage glowed her usual brilliant gold as her outfit changed. Her form swelled as her mass increased with the new armour. The light then cut off and the girl now stood tall in a massively imposing suit.

An enormous velvet red cape fluttered in the breeze, the edges hemmed with a soft white fur, the base dragging around gold tassels that danced slowly in the wind. A large wreath sat strikingly upon her head, strong wings standing up proudly to the heavens as she stared them down. A cheek high collar rose up around her neck, its brilliant white and trimmed blue gleaming in the sunrise.

Symmetrical shoulder pads covered her upper arms, the enormous things clasped to her breastplate and decorated with lavish golden designs that spiralled and swirled all over the solid metal plates. Another pair of wings rose up regally from the joints, the impressive things standing two or three feet tall. Hiding under them were shining gauntlets, they similarly having intricate decorations dancing down their length.

Her chest plate was tightly form fitting, the metal hugging her bust tightly with the winged designs etched in such a way they almost looked 3D. A royal blue banner draped down from her midriff, bird like emblems standing tall either side of the piece, looking up to a stylised butterfly that ran dead center down it. Large hip plates hung down, the heavy pieces reaching the girl's knees so long were they. Again, more golden engravings adorned them and they rustled softly as Erza's weight shifted around.

Finally topping off the noble appearance was a mighty lance clasped tightly in her left hand. The thing had to be eight feet tall, emerald green and topped off with a blood red flag almost the same colour as her hair. It flapped in the wind, the Fairy Tail emblem smack bang in the middle as a laurel wreath wound its way around the bottom two thirds of the logo.

Stamping the point of the lance, Erza called out even louder as she announced the terms to all who could hear. "ONE! You must never reveal any sensitive information about Fairy Tail for as long as you live."

She stamped the lance again. "TWO! You must never use the clients you met through the guild for personal gain."

Stamping the lance even harder, Erza's voice cracked a little under the strain of her final command. "THREE! Though our paths may differ, you must always live out your lives with all of your might! Never consider your own lives to be insignificant! Never forget the friends in your life you hold dear!"

She then raised the lance high and cried out, "Let the Fairy Tail send-off party begin!"

At her order, several dozen powerful spells shot into the air, fire, ice, water and light all exploding above them in brilliant fashion, the glorious red of the morning sun casting dancing shadows across the fields as the celebrations went on. Naruto's mouth was dropped open in a wide smile as he watched the spectacle. It really was an incredibly unique way to send someone off. A small voice in the back of his head reasoned a **Rasenshuriken** would look good up there, but the chance of there being a casualty was too great to risk it.

Looking back down, the blond then raised an arm in the air and waved as the three mages began walking off, cries of goodbyes and well wishes filling the air. It didn't take too long for them to drift out of sight but the small crowd remained, their callings still audible for a few minutes longer. Eventually though, the voices ceased and Erza let out a soft sigh. A gold light wrapped up her form and before long she was back to her usual white blouse and navy blue pleat skirt. Wiping a single tear from her eye, she turned and smiled at her friends.

"Well, that's that I guess. Since you all got up so early with me to send them off, I will buy everyone breakfast at any restaurant they choose." There was a loud whoop of excitement as the redhead walked through them back towards the town. Naruto lagged a bit, grinning to himself and ticking off all the things he wanted to eat. After running out of fingers and toes, the blond nodded and jogged after the retreating group, his tummy gurgling in anticipation.

XxXxXxX

The rest of that week passed fairly quietly which Naruto was immensely thankful for. It had been a long time since he'd had a proper chance to just unwind and relax. The old sailor Mr. Donathan had called in his services again to repair the wharf and had paid him quite a substantial amount after the blond and his doppelgängers finished the job in half the predicted time. Naruto had offered to leave the reward and watch the old man eat his boots like previously promised, but he received a light hearted clip around the ear for that remark and an envelope stuffed into his chest with a bit more force than necessary. Still, the promise of more work was given and the men left on good terms.

After that job though, the weather took a turn for the worse and over the course of a day and a half, blackened skies laden with rain and thunder moved in to drop their heavy loads all over Magnolia. It wasn't showing any sign of easing up either as the days rolled on, the rain only ever intensifying and the sky rumbling more and more ominously.

Inside the guild, the members had begun to go a bit stir crazy with cabin fever since when there was rain covering the kingdom like this, jobs rapidly dried up leaving everyone scratching around for something to do.

"Awww man I'm so bored! What I'd give for something interesting to happen!" Lucy dropped her head onto her arms while lamenting the rain, her tolerance levels for two certain serial brawlers reaching new lows. Even now Natsu and Gray were scrapping on the other side of the guild.

"Want a game of strip poker?" Cana pulled her usual deck of cards out from her back pocket, temporarily leaving her barrel of drink to itself. "I promise it'll be fun~!"

The platinum blond shuddered and crossed her arms over her chest protectively. "No thank you. I've had enough mishaps with my clothing to last me a lifetime. I don't need you adding to that."

The taller brunette snickered and slid the cards away, a sly wink making Lucy shudder again. "Well, the offer is always there."

Turning her head away from her laughing antagoniser, Lucy spied Naruto wandering around aimlessly and raised an arm to hail him over. "Oi! Naruto! What are you doing?"

Turning a lazy eye towards her, the blond sighed and ambled over sluggishly. Flopping into the chair beside her, he dropped his feet onto the table, ignoring the rebuke from the old guild master. "About as much as you it looks like. I could go train, but I've had enough of washing out all my clothes. Honestly, the mud in this place must have a magic property allowing it to get _everywhere_." He looked down at his fellow blond. "Yes, even there."

"Ew!" Wrinkling her nose, Lucy recoiled slightly at the mental image. "I did not need to know that. Why would you even tell me?"

Ignoring the question, Naruto sagged back over the chair's rest with a moan. "This sucks! Even baiting you isn't fun anymore!"

Truth be told Naruto had been dropping gross/sleazy/inappropriate comments around the easily riled girl since the rain had set in and the amusement had well and truly worn out. Growling, the teen heard a loud crash and tilted his head back further. Watching the upside down world, Naruto snatched a hand out and caught an incoming body with ease. It turned out to be Natsu, torn clothes and all. "Oi, let me go! That frigid ice bastard over there needs his ass kicked! Again!"

Finally snapping, Naruto vaulted over the chair to land upright in front of the noisy mage. "Argh, I'm so bored! I've had enough of this! You, me, outside, now!"

Not giving the boy a chance to reply, Naruto grabbed the scruff of his neck and began dragging him away, his frustrated cries slowly growing quieter as Naruto stomped off into the rain.

Blinking in surprise, both Lucy and Cana watched them leave, an abnormal amount of quiet settling over the guild as one half of the noise making duo was hauled away to meet what was most probably a grisly beating. Not to say he wasn't going to give his all before getting that way though.

"Well… that was abrupt."Cana nodded as she turned back to her drink, not giving it any more thought. "Hey, they're both young and Naruto really hasn't been doing much these last few days. I wouldn't be surprised if once done with that kid, he comes back for round two with his bum buddy."

Lucy ignored the distant "Rival in love!" growl from one obsessed navy haired girl and sighed. "Well, they can do what they like so long as it doesn't involve me. That's just asking for trouble otherwise."

XxXxXxX

It may have been pouring rain but Naruto and Natsu were squared off just outside the town gates, eyes blazing and tempers flaring. "You ready for this, mage? You and Gray have been blowing of steam the last few days, so if you want me to go easy on you I will."

The mage ignited as the words dug home deep, coils of fire rising to the sky and evaporating any rain within ten feet of him. "You go anything less than full power and I'll drag you back to the guild in a body bag! Besides, you wanted this so no half-assing it!"

"Good." Naruto stilled himself and let the power of the natural energy surrounding the two begin to spill into his being. This time though…

Naruto's closed eyes twitched. Something wasn't right. As his reserves began filling more and more, his senses rapidly began to understand. The air felt empty. But not in the way of nothing there, more like the Ethernano was being dragged away and Naruto was trying to drag his piece back. It was a relatively tiny amount, but it was gaining strength every second.

Opening his orange eyes, Naruto held out a hand to the impatient teen opposite. "Hang on a second there, something is wrong."

Eyes shining and lips pulled back in a toothy grin, Natsu held out a fire coated hand. "What, you chicken now? Don't worry, I can hold back if you really need."

Ignoring him, Naruto looked around. The Ethernano was swirling in the air more and more rapidly, around the whole town even. He had felt this before actually, now that he thought about it. He just couldn't put a finger on where though…

Both he and Natsu's ears pricked as an impossibly faint cry reached their sensitive ears and they looked off towards the guild. The power of the rain had picked up even more and even to two of the most acute hearers in the guild it was still difficult to make out.

"Was that Wendy?" The mage's cocked head rocked back and forward, trying to catch more sound.

Naruto nodded and began feeling out her signature through the city. It didn't take long to lock onto her position and he found her face down in the rain, not far from Fairy Tail. Eyes widening, he then vanished from sight as he took off running, leaving Natsu to scream indignantly and put on the chase. This awkward sensation in the air coupled by Wendy's untimely cry was hard to write off as a coincidence.

Dashing through the rain, it didn't take long to be at the girls' side. Helping her to her feet, Naruto looked around. "Wendy, what's happening? Where's Charla?"

Blinking in surprise at Naruto's new look, the girl shook off the moment and clenched her fists in fear. "The sky, the sky is going to suck everyone up! We have to tell the guild!"

"The sky?" Turning his eyes up, Naruto's mouth dropped as he saw a familiar ominous swirl forming overhead. "Anima?"

Looking back down at Wendy, Naruto gripped her shoulders. "I know this is unlikely, but have you seen someone in a big coat around anywhere? Has a whole bunch of staffs with him? Maybe even goes by the name Mystogan?"

Taking the fact Naruto knew this in her stride, Wendy shook her head violently. "He's no use at the moment, he's too weak! We have to save the guild!"

Though surprised she did indeed know him, the experienced ninja didn't let it show. Pausing a moment, Naruto considered the options. Quickly scanning the city, Naruto indeed found Mystogan collapsed back the way Wendy came, exhausted from using too much energy. Charla was also trotting along, though she seemed a bit unsure of herself for some reason with how slowly she was moving. There were too many questions to answer at the moment so for now, helping Wendy was the first priority.

Picking her up, he took off in a flash towards the guild. Her little voice rang clear as he carried her, her continual fear filled cry for Fairy Tail remaining true, "Watch out everyone! The sky, look up at the sky!"

Flashes of blue lightning began illuminating the streets as they ran, the frequency of their blasts increasing in number until the whole town was bathed in an unearthly strobe light. Nearing the guild, Naruto raced forwards, holding Wendy out to hopefully help her screams reach them.

Earth and tiles began rising up around the duo as the swirl in the sky drew in more and more energy. The rapid flow of Ethernano upwards indicated whatever was about to happen would be here any second so with a final push, Naruto jumped through the gates of Fairy Tail… and into nothingness.

Both their eyes widened in disbelief as the whole building began warping in an almost dreamlike way, its colours being sucked right out of it as the whole thing began to glow a bright white. Looking around, Naruto saw that the rest of the town was being drawn up in a similar way, the tops of the houses and trees glowing brightly before they began breaking down into shining gold partials that were rapidly drawn up and into the Anima above. Indeed, the whole town around them was being converted into pure magic and sucked skywards, off to a completely different dimension.

"Oof! Naruto, what are you… Naruto?"

Having been dropped, the small girl looked up at her guild mate and her eyes widened in surprise as the blond stared at his hands in disbelief. They too had begun to discolour, glow brightly and break down. To Naruto's eyes though he could see every single atom of his being snapping apart and joining the upward flow of energy.

Fear filled his being as his body disappeared, Wendy's faint scream of horror only just reaching his vanishing ears. His eyes turned to hers in complete confusion, their gazes meeting only for a moment longer before what was left of the blond ninja exploded into light and vanished into the sky.

XxXxXxX

"OOF!"

Something extremely firm suddenly slammed into Naruto, that being the first anything he felt since that strange dream of being sucked away into nothingness.

"Ohhh… what happened?"

Testing out his fingers, the blond found soft grass underhand. Breathing a thankful sigh of relief, he slowly opened his eyes.

He was lying in a grass field, though the texture of it was about all that was familiar to him. The grass was an off purple with golden weeds springing up in all different places. Blinking in confusion, the blond slowly sat up and looked around in wonder.

Sprawling great plants rose to the sky, some twisted in impossibly strange designs that under normal circumstances gravity wouldn't have allowed. There were others that seemed to be giant spore pods, the massive structures the size of a small house bunched together in clumps of cases like massively oversized fruit. Other trees looked to almost be growing upside down, all the foliage of the plants being bushed around the base of the organism while roots stretched high into the pale pink sky.

That wasn't even the weirdest part as Naruto looked upward, his mouth dropping open in shock surprise at what was hanging in the sky.

To be honest it almost looked like Pein had come to the world and gone to town on the entire dimension. Thousands of asteroid sized chunks of rock near and far hung suspended in the middle of the air, glistening waterfalls tumbling away to nothingness over their ridged edges. Each one was a slightly different colour to the next and none looked like they had the same plant life as any others. Each was a mini ecosystem in its own right with no apparent connection to anything else in this impossible world.

Between them ran a river of suspended water, running through the air like the very currents it must have been supported on. Here and there fish leapt out of it only to come crashing back down into its waters by some strange gravitational pull that apparently effected only itself and its inhabitants.

And again beyond that, far, far into the distant sky hung the great circular shapes of immense planets, their imposing figures dominating the back drop with colours Naruto had never even dreamed of.

Time almost seemed to stop as the awestruck ninja gaped openly at the mind-altering scenery around him. Strange animal cries, foreign smells, awkward sights and alien energies filled his head and threatened to overwhelm the teen as his eyes continued to grow. He wasn't allowed that though as from deep within the recesses of his mind, a furiously loud voice began dominating his thoughts and drew him inward.

**_"_****_Brat! Are you listening? Hell, are you even in one piece yet?"_**

Confused and very much shaken, Naruto swallowed as he allowed himself to be dragged to stand before his monstrous gold captive. "Y-yo, Kyuubi. I'm here."

**_"_****_About damn time brat, _****_I've been trying to contact you for hours to see if you had been killed."_**

Nodding slowly, Naruto stared through the giant fox as he tried to come to terms with what he'd seen. "Kyuubi, what happened? Where are we? Is this that 'Edolas' Mystogan mentioned?"

Growling deeply, the living natural disaster crossed its arms. **_"I imagine so. I tried contacting you before you so foolishly dove headfirst into the middle of that swirling maelstrom but you were too focused on that mouse of a human. You're in my debt, I saved you from potential death."_** The fox leaned in. **_"I'd recommend you removing my seal now then as way of payment."_**

Ignoring that last statement, Naruto shook his head and pushed a palm into his forehead. "But what happened? How did you save me? Just… just… WHAT?"

Absolutely overcome with questions, Naruto looked up at the fox with wide eyes that struggled to comprehend everything. Sighing long-sufferingly, the Kyuubi pinched the bridge of its snout with its right hand as it muttered obscenities to itself. Finally collecting its thoughts, the massive animal leaned in. **_"I don't know much more than you, this accursed place your teacher sent us is just as strange to me as it is to you. However, as for what happened when you disappeared back in front of that slaughterhouse you called a guild, that was due to the Ethernano."_** The mighty fox growled deeply at the memory. **_"This will be the first and last time I say this, but I felt whatever it was splitting you up pulling at me and the accursed seal your father put to lock me here thankfully held it back from taking me. I don't know what for, but I do know it would have caused me to lose myself, if only for a time. And I will not have people controlling me like that!" _**The Kyuubi snarled that last sentence with particular vehemence. **_"You, having been feeble enough to be ensnared by its calling, were about to be sucked into oblivion but being doubly enslaved is something I could not stand for. I pushed out all of that natural energy from your system as best I could and it seems like you're back in one piece mostly, though your brain is still depressingly lacking."_**

Slowly acknowledging the words, Naruto began to piece everything together and looked up into the fox's eyes. "I guess I really do owe you. Thank you. Though how did you get the natural energy out of me?"

The Kyuubi snorted indignantly. **_"You forget that I kicked that old toad off your shoulder while you were training with them. You believe forcing natural energy from your body is impossible for me?"_**

Blinking, the blond held his hands out in surprise. "So why haven't you done that earlier?"

The fox looked away haughtily. **_"Whether you use my power or another's is of no concern to me, so long as you stay alive. Had I forced the energy from you in crucial moments you would be dead, and though it doesn't worry me one way or the other what happens to you, your being alive is much more beneficial to me."_**

"Ah. I guess that makes sense." Naruto couldn't fault the words, though he now felt a certain amount of dis-ease at the knowledge. "So what happens now?"

**_"_****_I don't actually care."_** The Kyuubi relaxed and leaned back, resting its head on its paws. **_"My goal remains unchanged. What you do though won't trouble me one bit. Go, rampage on this worlds citizens and destroy their homes. Give me some entertainment while you wallow in the depths of your pathetic humanity."_**

Naruto glared at the hardhearted animal. "Or maybe I'll go get absorbed by the Anima, just to see how you like being doubly trapped."

**_"_****_Like you'd give yourself up just to spite me. Now away with you, I only needed to make sure you hadn't been killed before your time." _**A large paw shooed him flippantly as the animal rolled over brazenly. Rolling his eyes, Naruto didn't even bother replying as he left the confines of his mind.

Coming back to reality, the teen opened his eyes. Despite being its usual unpleasant self, the Kyuubi was Naruto's one firm consistent and its lack of caring managed to drag his mind back down to earth. Pushing himself to his feet, Naruto looked around his new world. He had no idea what he was doing, where he was or anything else, but that all didn't matter so long as he found the rest of Fairy Tail. Together they could come up with a way to return everyone home. The world was a huge place though so after a quick stretch, the out of place ninja took off in search of his guild.

XxXxXxX

_A/N – Aaaaand that's a wrap. Again. For now. I got a bit stuck towards the middle there but now that we've moved onto the next part of the story I'm feeling really confident with what I have planned. Something very different from what I've ever seen before too so hopefully it'll keep you guys guessing ;)_

_On another note, I've been hit up by this new group called "Dreamers". It's a help and support group created by this guy called Dreaming of the Moon. Check out his profile to see what it takes to become a member if you're interested in bettering your own skills with the help of other long-time authors. _

_One part of this is shouting out other authors. In that case I'd like to give Noodlehammer a hoy. He has four stories and all of them are over the 1000+ review mark. Impressive enough for me I think. So check out his stuff to see what you think._

_As always, please do leave a review to let me know how you liked it. I love hearing all your feedback, even if it's just a quick "Good job!" After all that's the only way I'll grow as an author!_

_From there, I'll take my leave and hopefully get you all your next fix of A Lost Shinobi before too long! _

_Lanky Nathan_


	36. Chapter 36

"This place is nuts!"

The cause for this statement was the incredibly strange gravitational pulls throughout this weird world. He didn't really think about it on the ground, but once Naruto started flying he realised every floating rocky island seemed to have its own pull of varying strengths. Strange thing was it wasn't limited by how big or small it was, some of the most powerful islands had been the smallest. How something like that had managed to form was completely beyond the blond ninja so he did his best to not let it trouble him.

Getting a bearing around here was nigh impossible too as the sun didn't seem to track in a straight line across the sky. Like the rest of this place it seemed to be a law unto itself, sliding across the sky and moving back and forth as it went. So with any form of compass gone, all Naruto could do was try remember where he came from and line the islands from behind up with the ones in front so he didn't accidentally end up flying a big circle.

Grunting as light hit his eyes, Naruto raised a hand to his brow to shield the glare and sighed. "Oh come on, someone has gotta be around here somewhere. This King that lives here wouldn't just suck up Ethernano and then vanish. Where are you… A-ha!"

Finally spotting someone, Naruto grinned and swooped in. He managed to get a good look at the lass as he softly landed several paces behind her. Fairly plain dress sense, just a tan, elbow length shirt with a slightly darker, knee length pair of pants. Said person was also dangling their legs off the edge of the island they were on, fishing rod in hand.

Coughing to notify his presence, the blond chuckled as her startled a bit. Brown flair flicked about as she twisted to view him, piercing eyes casting a calculating view over him through her glasses.

"Hey there! Sorry for that, I just needed to ask directions. I'm a bit lost."

She didn't say anything for a moment, her only movement being the narrowing of one eye in consideration. Finally sighing, she reeled in her line and stood up.

"You're from a long way away aren't ya buddy? No one gets lost around here."

"Heh heh heh…" Chuckling awkwardly, Naruto jumped his eyebrows a fraction at the understatement. "Yeah you could say that. Anyway, I was just trying to find the closest town. Do you know what way it is?"

One slim eyebrow raised as the girl popped a hand on her hip. "Damn, you must be from the other side of the world to not know that."

Slightly taken aback, Naruto frowned and crossed his arms. "Well just humour me and say I was."

Sighing, the girl then pointed over Naruto's shoulder to a strange natural path. "The islands never stay put right? So the only way to traverse them without losing your direction is following the natural paths the trees make. Jump on that one and follow it for about fifteen minutes and you'll find Sycca town."

"Oh good!" Grinning and giving the girl a wave, Naruto turned and called out, "Thanks for that!" as he dashed for the path. Not bothering to reply, the nameless girl sat back down and began playing with her rod again.

A grin of determination stretched itself on Naruto's face as he set himself a rapid pace. Fifteen minutes she reckons? The blond bet he could do it in three.

XxXxXxX

Two and a half minutes later, Naruto jogged to a stop in front of a wide archway. A large 'WELCOME' stretched across it, the name of the town in smaller writing beneath it.

"Well that's nice."

Striding through the gates, the blond looked around as he was surrounded by people of this world for the first time. It seemed like the markets were on today as carts full of all sorts of weird and wonderful fruits, meats and trinkets filled the main street. Voices filled the air and Naruto found it a bit tricky to understand the words. The town seemed to have a distinct accent of its own. Now that he thought of it, he was lucky this place didn't have a whole new language to learn.

Spotting a café, the teenager made his way over and sat down. He perused the crowds as they mingled, taking in the sights and trying to work out which way was the town centre. He also began planning his next step. As for information on this place, he really had nothing to go by. Everything was so strange he might as well throw everything he knew about tracking out the window and start from scratch. As for where he was to go though, well, he had at least one good idea courtesy of Mystogan.

"Hello sir, can I get anything for you?"

Turning his head, Naruto flashed the waiter a smile. "Just water thanks. Also, I'm new to the area, I've come from quite a way away. I was looking for where I might see the King?"

"Ah the king!" That comment earned Naruto a wide smile in return. "Yes, if you're not from around here you'll certainly want to see the splendour of his wonderful city. Do excuse me and I'll get you your water and a map."

The blond sighed as the man strode away. That was much easier than he'd been expecting. Not that there was any issue per-say, it's more that Naruto had a nasty habit of only running into places that were controlled by very nasty dictators. The king might be a bad egg but at least he had respect among the community. Within moments the waiter was back and spreading a well-used map out before him. There were several names written on there and the waiter started with the one Naruto knew.

"So we are currently here on the ground in Sycca. I imagine you entered here from the main gate and off one of the elevated outcrops. This is the most Eastern town on this side of the strait." The man's finger was planted on the town that sat on the edge on one landmass. He then dragged his finger across the map eastward, across the water, across another town named 'Traia' and then finally rested on the word 'Royal City'. "You can see we're a fair hike from the Royal City. Well over two days ride even if you were heading straight there."

Nodding as he swallowed a mouthful of water, Naruto cupped his chin as he calculated the distance. "So, with it being so far, did you have any vehicles that go there? Trains or carriages or the likes?"

The waiter's smile dipped a bit as he sighed. "Yeah we do, but it's very expensive sadly. Since all the magic in the world is drying up, having transport sent all the way out here is getting more and more expensive. Even the upper-class are beginning to feel the squeeze!" A bit of vigour returned to the man though, his hand clenching into a fist and tensing. "But we've just got news our King has somehow managed to obtain a massive amount of extremely potent Lacrima! With that released it should bring prices right back on down and make travel affordable for everyone again!"

Naruto's smile stayed bright, but inside his thoughts darkened. He'd bet his Saints Badge he knew where all that Lacrima came from. Still, it was a good start and two days travel by a standard person was barely a few hours to one blond ninja.

Finishing his drink, Naruto stood up and bowed his head. "Well thanks for that! Did you know where I could grab a map? I might as well set off now if that's the case, don't wanna waste too much time!"

The map on the table was folded up and handed to him. "This old thing was about to go in the bin. Take it and I wish you the best in your travels!"

It was nice to meet such a pleasant person every now and then. Grinning, Naruto held out a hand and shook it. "Thank you very much for the help. I'll have to come back for a proper meal later if possible!"

A laugh and a wave accompanied Naruto as he wandered out into the street. Rolling the map up and slipping it into his jacket, Naruto looked around. He wasn't quite able to see what way was what for all the people about, so giving his legs a bit of a charge, the teen jumped up to the nearest roof.

And for some reason that prompted the loudest collection of screams Naruto had heard in years.

Looking down in surprise, he found every single person within sight staring up at him, some pointing and others with their mouths hanging wide open. Turning his gaze across them slowly, a small bead of sweat ran down his neck as he realised that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Biting his lip, the teen began pondering his next move when a loud voice called up at him.

"YOU! ON THE ROOF! SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY!"

"Uh, what?" Looking over the edge, Naruto spied the voice. A man dressed in an official uniform and armour was set in a battle-ready position, lance held high and right at him. A grey helmet that curled over the back of his head like a snail shell completely protected him from all identification. A balaclava protected the majority of his face, the only part of him visible being his eyes through a wide cut out. Arm length gauntlets wrapped any piece of skin up tight from his view, the grey material contrasted only by a single, oval jewel on the back of each hand. A long knee length cape buttoned up down to his waist covered his chest and earthy tan pants billowed out from under that.

Holding his hands up and waving them, Naruto called out in return. "What did I even do? You can't just scream at someone randomly and think they'll listen!"

"You are a mage of Fairy Tail! Come with us now lest we use lethal force!"

Whipping around in surprise, Naruto came face to face with the exact same man standing on the opposite side of the roof. Actually… no, he was a bit taller. The identical armour though made for a deceivingly similar look. However, "Why on earth would you say I'm a mage of Fairy Tail? I haven't even been here a single day yet!"

"You're a part of a different magic guild?"

Looking back over the edge, Naruto's eyes widened as he spotted well over a dozen new guards, all dressed identically to the first one. "What, where did you all come from?"

"Answer the question!"

Frowning, Naruto shook his head. "I'm still not answering anything."

"He is! He has the mark of the dark guild!"

Cursing himself, Naruto snapped his upturned hand shut and glared at the closest of the now six soldiers on the roof. "You lot just breed like rabbits don't you?"

Despite their accusations, Naruto frowned as he processed what they said. 'There's a Fairy Tail in Edolas, and it's a dark guild on top of that? Why would it be dark in Edolas?'

A sudden burst of magic erupted through the edge of the building he was standing on, crippling the foundation and causing Naruto to abruptly topple backward, crying out in surprise. Twisting nimbly, the blond reached out and grabbed a large chunk of rock and used its momentum to flick himself out of harm's way. Landing solidly in the middle of the road, the blond found it deserted of everyone except soldiers, who's numbers were rapidly climbing into the high fifty's. "Where did you all come from? What do you want from me?"

One guard stepped forward, lance levelled menacingly at him. "You are a dark mage of an outlaw guild. Use of magic in the Kingdom of Edolas is strictly prohibited and you are in direct violation of that law! Come quietly or else we will attack!"

"Oh, that's a relief! I was expecting something much worse." Naruto let out a breath as that answered the 'dark guild' status. So they weren't taking on assassination missions, just using magic illegally. Naruto found it a pretty easy sin to forgive. The soldiers however took his statement a little differently and growled at his insolence. "You think this is a game? Men! Arrest him with all force necessary!"

A loud cry erupted from the group as they rushed the blond, lances trained on him from all sides. Dropping low, the teen let the majority of the sharp heads pass over him. Grabbing one though, Naruto heaved up on the spear and pole vaulted the soldier hanging onto the other end across the street with a mighty throw. Using the momentary shock, Naruto kicked the other spears away and flipped his new toy around to catch the handle. "Alright, sounds like if I put a few of you down for a couple of weeks it'll be doing the guild a favour. So who wants at me first?"

Eyes all turned back to the smirking ninja and a wave of killing intent washed over the teen. It made him laugh a bit.

Suddenly chaos exploded and Naruto began his graceful dance of pain. Lances jabbed at him from every direction but the blond was always one step ahead. Keen eyes gauged the numbers and using his confiscated spear, he parried jab after jab into each soldier's fellow comrade, cries of pain ringing out as man after man was stabbed. It was never anything fatal but always close enough that they instantly collapsed in a pool of their blood, hands held tight around whatever wound they'd suffered to try and stem the flow of blood.

Not a single drop landed on the orange menace in the middle of it all though, the frustrating youth somehow managing to dance around even those. At the back of the group, one soldier summoned another and pointed away. "While we hold this threat off you go and call backup. I believe one of the Royal Army Captains is nearby. We must let them know."

Nodding in acceptance, the guard dashed off. Turning back, the superior blinked in surprise as he now witnessed Naruto fending off the progressing attacks _with his bare hands_. His old broken staff lay discarded off to the side but that wasn't slowing him down in the slightest. Palm strikes to the flats of his men's blades were perfectly guiding them back into their comrades. Whoever this Fairy Tail mage was had some unbelievable combat prowess. If he attacked even an inch higher or lower he'd be tearing his hands to shreds on the knife like edges. Yet there wasn't a single line of blood anywhere to be seen on him, and the worst bit? He was smiling the whole damn TIME!

Growling deeply as another man fell victim to this terror, the senior guard gripped his weapon tight. There was a reason he was the leader and it was because he'd spent the longest time fighting for his wonderful Lordship's army! So crouching, he focused his eyes on the blond and dashed in.

Lunging outward, he knew what to expect as the mage tried to palm strike his blade again. It would have been successful too if he was a lesser man. However his reflexes honed with years of practice snapped the blade downward at those unsightly orange pants in an attempt to hamstring him. He didn't expect that to work though as the teen vaulted over the swipe at the last second, back springing off his hands to land in a light crouch. This time however he'd caught the mage's attention.

"Huh, you're a level above the rest of this lot. Care to give me some real entertainment?"

Growling, the soldier remembered his training. 'Deep breaths, he's trying to make you angry. Don't be rash, remember the steps and _stay focused!'_

Lunging in, the two of them began a graceful duel, neither giving a foot as they traded blows and parries at a speed that had to be seen to be believed. The rest of the men fell back, spears still held at the ready but more as a circle of defence as the two experienced warriors battled it out in the middle. They weaved, ducked and dodged around each other for several moments; the actual time feeling more like minutes of consistent back and forthing between the two. Eventually the blond mage managed to get a foot to the back of a slightly over extended lunge and stamped the blade deep into the earth with a crunch. A wide grin pulled at his whiskered cheeks as he yelled, "I got you now!"

There was a mighty thump, but instead of the guard being thrown back as suspected, the youth's fist quivered up against a bright glowing blue wall. The superior had his hand up before him, back facing out and the blue jewel embedded in the rear of his gauntlet shining brightly as it materialised a powerful barrier. Surprise was evident in his eyes as he pushed against the strength of the shield, testing its limits.

A smile pulled beneath the metal balaclava of the guard as he felt the mage push against it. "It's no use, there's nothing short of a Legion that could break through this."

What he didn't expect was the dangerous grin that followed. "A challenge huh? Better pump all the energy you got into it if you don't wanna break every bone in your arm!"

Eyes widening, the guard knew better than to question such a powerful opponent. Gripping his wrist with his free arm, he doubly reinforced the barrier with the jewel on his other hand just as the mage reared his arm back.

"Hold TIGHT!"

And with that scream the mage unleashed possibly the most powerful single hit any one of those guards had ever seen in their whole lives. The resulting boom of it smashing into the magical barrier shook the ground and unsettled all the soldiers around them. For a second it looked like the shield would hold, but rapidly great splinters fractured across its surface before it let up with the mighty crash of glass breaking.

A barely stifled cry ripped itself from the soldier's mouth as he was flung back from the attack, though nowhere near as far as if he wasn't protected. He slid across the street, cradling his arm in agony as he felt his bones groan in protest, either one of them most probably fractured. A man rushed to his side and began checking him over to make sure nothing was seriously injured.

"Sir! The Royal Captains have been notified and they're on their way here now!"

Hearing his guard from earlier sprint in and relay the information, the man cracked a painful smile as he gauged the blond enigma. Holding out his good arm, he recalled his men. "Stand back, one of the Captains is on their way now! Tend to the wounded and do not attack, repeat, do not attack!"

A sceptical eyebrow raised on the teen as he heard the order. He placed one hand on his hip and thrust the other out questioningly. "Hang on, what about that whole, 'we'll use lethal force' thing? What if _I_ don't wanna stop attacking?"

Chuckling, the guard suddenly winced in pain as he tried to sit up. Catching his breath, he grinned and shook his head. "You don't know who the Captains are? I'd imagine someone from _that _guild to know their names anywhere."

That drew an annoyed glare from the teen as he stood up straighter. "Yeah, well say I just don't care?"

The top guard narrowed his eyes. "Well then you're even more foolish than we'd have thought."

A dangerous gaze pinned him down as the gravity around him seemed to increase, the intensity of the blonde's glare increasing rapidly. "You underestimated me once and look at what that got you. Trust me when I can say I can take anything you throw at me."

That elicited a stilted laugh from the guard as he shuffled into a better position. "Well you'd better hope so for your life's sake." There was then a distant, yet distinctly powerful animalistic roar in the distance and the blonde's eyes narrowed as he spied a dot flying out from behind one of the floating islands. "Oh look, here they are. Better ready yourself mage, the best of us has finally arrived!"

XxXxXxX

Keen eyes locked tight onto the town that was rapidly approaching. Not a muscle twitched as she sat atop the head of her giant hog-like beast as it barrelled onwards with a mighty cry. The second she received the transmission of one of those repugnant Fairy Tail worms had popped up in Sycca, she dropped everything and powered towards them without a moment to lose. That foul dark guild had been a thorn in the side of the kingdom, spitting on their authority for far too long. Every single one she had purged from this good land had made it feel like the air was a bit lighter. From how powerful this one sounded too, it would be a real kick in the guts to their defence to kill him.

A tiny smirk pulled at her lips in anticipation. None that had stood before her had lived to survive. Today was going to be no exception.

'Just hold tight for a moment, I promise that if it's a fight he's after, it will be one he will only just live long enough to remember.'

XxXxXxX

The blonde's eyes narrowed as whatever it was in the distance came flying in. The anger of the guards earlier was laughable, they hadn't had enough strength to land a single blow on him. This new arrival though… even from this far Naruto could make out an intense hatred being directed at him.

Taking a few steps back, he glanced down at the injured guard. It seemed what he said earlier was being taken as law. Despite the dirty glares he was getting no one had come within ten feet of him.

Casualties wasn't something he was looking to create so the blond closed his eyes as the threat drew near. Whatever it was seemed powerful enough to warrant **Senjutsu (Sage Techniques)**, so reaching out into the air, the ninja began drawing natural energy into himself.

At least, he tried to.

Frowning in confusion, Naruto desperately tried to harness the natural energy around him but it was stretched so thin that it was like trying to get a good drink off a puddle washed out over a concrete floor.

That waiter hadn't been wrong, the amount of magic in this world was dangerously low for anyone that needed it to survive. From the hollow feeling of everyone around him, Naruto came to the conclusion that they must have adapted differently to their environment over time. In Earthland even the civilians had Ethernano running fresh through their bodies. Here though, none of them had a drop anywhere to be found. That would have been why they were using weapons for their magical attacks instead of their bodies. They simply couldn't do it.

Clicking his tongue in frustration, Naruto gave up on trying to enter **Senjutsu**. He _had_ been pulling in the Ethernano around him and with time would have accumulated enough to activate the transformation, but that was taking far too long and time wasn't something he had much of right now.

It looked like he was just gonna have to take his chances. Stilling his nerves, the teen looked skyward and slowly lifted off the ground. The resultant scream of shock from all the guards helped boost his confidence as he rose to meet his enemy.

Eventually stopping high enough above the town that no one would be caught in the fallout, the teen readied himself and waited. The thing hurtling towards him was now more distinct and didn't it look weird.

It was a dark grey beast with this massive great head, mouth and teeth all pointing directly at him. Two long, thick horns much like a cow's sat above its beady yellow eyes, each one being nearly the same size as its head.

Enormous leathery wings pumped the air furiously as it propelled itself forward at an unbelievably rapid speed for something as massive and ungainly as itself. Abnormally tiny forelegs grabbed at the air as its powerful (and much larger) back legs kicked desperately to try and generate even a bit more speed.

A long whippy tail snaked around behind it, stabilising the beast so that despite its frantic movements it still held incredibly level through the air. Naruto squinted when he noticed an odd bulb on the tip of the tail and after a few moments managed to make out it was split open with a great many teeth in it too.

'Alright, here goes nothing.' Raising a hand, Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the creature and bellowed, "Oi! I'm the one you want! Come and get some, dattebayo!"

It let out a deafening roar as it rose to the challenge, its legs clawing more frantically at the air than ever to try and reach its target. However, now that it was close enough Naruto could see someone riding on top of the things head. Squinting, the blonde's eyes widened as extremely familiar scarlet red hair lashed about furiously in the wind. "No way, is that… Erza?"

Waving his hands, the blond grinned and called out, "Oi, Erza! It's me! How'd you get free?"

Happily waving his arms, the ninja didn't notice the beast dig deep for one last burst of speed. Roaring aggressively, it opened its mouth to swallow up the teen in one bite. Keen danger senses kicked in just at the last moment and Naruto let out a shocked cry as he cut the power to his legs and fell just under the beast's mouth as it snapped shut where he'd been a nanosecond earlier. That didn't save him from the crazy vortex the thing generated though and Naruto was sent flipping and spinning earthward until he finally managed to halt his momentum. He queasily held his stomach and clamped a hand to his mouth as motion sickness reminiscent of his fight with Laxus set in. Holding his position for a few seconds, he swallowed the rise of vomit and let out a shaky breath as the world slowly stopped spinning.

Seeing the giant animal banking around, Naruto growled and rose to meet it. The thing howled again and came in for round two but this time Naruto was ready. Crossing his fingers, the teen whispered his trademark technique and a perfect clone popped into view. Each pulling a **Rasengan (Spiralling Sphere) **into life, they waited until the last second as the thing came in to bite them again. Springing apart, they lashed out and buried their attacks deep into the sides of its head.

It shrieked in pain as the tightly focused balls of energy ate into the protective scales near its horns before they went up in a massive explosion. Disorientated and wounded, the animal dropped like an enormous stone and Erza was flung off as the creature began corkscrewing towards the ground.

"Woah there, I got you. What happened? Why the hell did that thing you're riding attack me?" Naruto swept in to catch the girl bridal style, his concerned face staring into dark brown eyes. The coldness reflected back at him though wasn't something he was expecting. "Erza? Are you o –"

Naruto wasn't given time to finish his question as a lance was buried deep into his chest. His eyes widened in pain and betrayal before he went up in an explosion of smoke. Falling out of non-existent arms, Erza flipped around and professionally manoeuvred herself through the air to fall like a pin towards her steed. Reaching out an arm, she grasped a horn and pulled herself back onto its head with ease. Grabbing the base of each horn, she growled through her teeth and heaved backwards powerfully.

A strained cry was torn from the beast's mouth but regardless it obeyed, sluggishly flapping its wings and only just managing to right itself out of its dive in time to swoop over the multi-coloured trees. Blood poured from each side of its head but the concussion seemed to have been more effective than the actual wounds.

Slowly pulling back up level with a now very cautious Naruto, it panted deeply as its owner and the blond eyed each other off. "Erza, what are you doing?"

The dark gleam in her eye didn't fade one bit as she stared him down. "Will a Fairy Tail worm really address me with such familiarity?"

Naruto didn't reply to that, instead considering all alternatives. She was certainly Erza, but there was a definite malice about her that was just off. Narrowing his eyes, the teen drew in a tiny amount of natural energy, just enough to see into the woman who stood before him. Slowly his eyes widened enough to show his foe he uncovered the truth.

She may have been dressed in battle armour Erza preferred, that being a revealing two piece bikini, metal gauntlets for her forearms and knee high metal shin guards for her legs and a single long lance, but inside was different. She was hollow, without any form of energy inside. This was her Edolas counterpart and she seemed very mean.

"You appear to have mistaken me for someone who you know."

"Only for a moment. Looks can be deceiving, ya know?"

The Erza double narrowed her eyes. "What in this good world could you mistake me for?"

Raising a fist, Naruto readied himself for battle. "Someone who I hope you never meet."

A brief laugh snapped from her lips as a smirk pulled at the corner of her nose. "What, another _Fairy Tail_ member? Maybe I have already met her then, but if that's the case she's more than likely dead."

A cold shiver shot down Naruto's spine at the proclamation and his eyes hardened. "You've killed members?"

Frowning, the red head considered the blond. "You… you say you're affiliated with the dark guild, yet you've never heard of me. Where are you from exactly?"

An emotionless glaze set over Naruto's eyes as he held a hand out. A bright, glowing blue ball began to swirl in his hand and shadows danced across his face eerily. "A ninja never reveals his secrets."

In a sudden explosion of movement, Naruto disappeared and an almighty boom rang out as Naruto's **Rasengan** smashed into the flat blade of Erza's suddenly transformed sword. Pushing into it, Naruto heard the metal scream in protest.

That was hardly the end of it though as the sword itself glowed a bright gold and warped shape into a wide spear head with sharp edges curling into the point. Using the change in physical properties, Erza rolled under the deadly attack and let herself topple off her beast to fall towards the earth. Spinning in the air, she locked the tip onto Naruto and a single orb hanging just behind the spear head lit up with a blinding light as she cried, **"Vacuum Spear, Mel Force!"**

An almighty vortex exploded out from the tip and enveloped Naruto in an instant. Crossing his arms over his face and chest, the ninja grit his teeth as he was thrown back from the force of the blast. Catching himself after a moment, the teen ignored several shallow cuts across his body as he stared back at the woman. She whistled and her mighty animal swooped down with incredible agility to catch her on its head again and bring her back up.

Her malevolent smirk spoke stories of her lust for battle and the joy she took from killing her victims. Wiping away a tiny trickle of blood that tickled the side of his face, Naruto frowned slightly at the situation. 'If I had **Senjutsu **this would be over in a heartbeat. Whatever that sword of hers is though is something else. Tenten-chan would have a field trip if she got her hands on that."

Trying a different method, Naruto crossed his fingers and focused. **"****Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)!"**

Erza's eyes rapidly widened as an enormous smoke cloud exploded from the teen before revealing over fifty identical replicas of the original. Looking them all over, she shouted out, "What kind of magic is this? How are you duplicating yourself? Your flying, what type of Lacrima are you using? Explain to me!"

A kunai shot past her head, her incredible reflexes saving her from a new hole in the temple. Growling as she gripped her lance, she stiffened in shock as a deadly low voice growled beside her ear. "Didn't I already tell you? Ninja never reveal their secrets."

A punch of power she hadn't felt in years ignited her lower back in pain as she was blasted off the animal with a furious scream. Flipping through the air, she was now at the mercy of fifty accursed blond freaks and they were fresh out of sympathy. Elbows, fists, knees and feet pin-balled her through the air, each hit drawing a tiny squeak of pain no matter how much she tried to hold it in.

Tumbling through a hole as an attack swung wide, she used the moment to let out a sharp whistle and a fraction of a second later, her steed was beneath her feet, having ploughed through over half the teenagers and sending them up in a cloud of smoke.

Killing intent began pouring from her form as she panted deeply, her shoulders heaving as the back of one of her hands wiped away streaks of blood from her nose and mouth. Growling lividly, her eyes widened in fury and stamped once on her beasts head. The behemoth let out a mighty cry before flapping its wings once and charged into the crowd.

While faster than that thing, Naruto was but a fraction of its size and even as he and his clones scrambled for safety, the horns and wingspan of the creature cleaned up most of the remaining clones. The original was also caught in the blast, a stray wing flap smashing into his head and knocking the sense out of him for a moment.

Crazed eyes locked onto the abnormality and hauling on the horn by her side, Erza swooped the animal in and reared her now massive cleaver up over her head. Nearing Naruto at blinding speeds, the redhead chopped down, intent on bifurcating her enemy in a single swipe.

Naruto wasn't about to have that though and his palms slammed together just in time to catch each side of the blade. Had he been a fraction late and it would have been all over. Even so, a tiny drip of blood flowed down from the tip of his nose where the sword nicked him. Letting out a determined cry, the blonde's muscles bulged as he threw the cleaver head back.

Spinning past the blade, he landed beside Erza and screamed in effort as he lashed out at her head. She just barely ducked out of the way and Naruto's fist smashed into the horn just behind her. Fissures shattered out from the point of impact and blood squirted from the new holes as the beast beneath their feet howled in pain and began bucking like crazy. Anchoring himself to its skull with chakra, Naruto pushed the advantage and used his incredible speed to try and batter the woman into submission.

Erza put up a valiant effort defending the onslaught but Naruto was just too fast. For every two attacks she stopped a third made it through, knocking her back closer and closer to the edge of the small platform. Finally a fist broke through her defences and connected with her nose solidly, sending her flipping back and over the side of the animal with a squirt of crimson from the abused facial feature.

Blinking through the tears, she held her lance tight in both hands and cried out, **"Velocity Spear, Silfarion!" **Again, her weapon glowed brightly as it changed into a triangular, arrow like spearhead. Whistling her command once more, her beast took a moment longer than usual to reach her. Upon alighting on its head she realised why. Naruto had taken to punching the horn repeatedly in an effort to break the thing off. Blood spurted everywhere as cracks continued to spread across its surface while the beast moaned in distress below. 'Smart, disabling my Legion would be a very big problem. However, it's _much_ tougher than that.'

Dashing across in a newfound burst of speed her lance graced her with, she stabbed through to impale Naruto's head but the ninja ducked out of the way just in time. He reacted fantastically, a low swiping kick taking her feet out from under her, followed up with a rising uppercut that would have knocked her jaw clean off and thrown it all the way back to the Royal Palace. However, the new agility Erza had gained through her weapon allowed her to palm the attack off to the side with only the lightest of touches glancing her cheekbone.

Rolling with the punch, the deadly woman twisted around the arm and moved past Naruto to elbow him in the back of the head. The move was predicted though as Naruto tucked and planted his hands flat on the ground to vault away from the attack. The length of her spear was no consistent though so as Naruto landed, Erza lashed the handle of it out and it extended right into the middle of Naruto's back to blow him off her Legion. He groaned as his muscles protested the abuse and he toppled over the side and out of view.

Letting himself fall, Naruto gained a good safe distance as he looked back up at the monstrous animal. 'What a fighter, she is an absolute master. That thing though, honestly if I could just wound it enough! Or, actually…'

A new idea lighting his mind, Naruto clasped his hands together. Tensing, a bright golden cloak enveloped his form and a single bright tail of light shot out from his lower spine.

Teeth sharpened and nails lengthened yet Naruto didn't feel a single ounce of aggression cloud his mind. Grinning to himself, the blond mentally thanked old Yajima. 'What you said was right, I can do this!'

As the wave of killing intent washed over Erza and her animal, the blond heard her let out an impressed laugh as her ride bellowed uncomfortably. "Well aren't you just a ball of surprises! I guess that's what you feel like when you get serious!"

Rising up to view the redheaded warrior, Naruto grinned. "Oh, this isn't even a fraction of what I can do."

Allowing himself to embrace the power within, Naruto's teeth and nails sharpened even further, the broiling mass of gold chakra around him exploding in intensity as another two tails shot out from behind him. Yet even then, not a hint of anger entered his mind. He waited a moment longer though, just to make sure that it wasn't a delayed reaction this time. When he finally realised he was still sane, he opened his eyes and grinned. 'I'll be damned! This has to be the power of Ethernano, I'm sure of it!'

The unnerving power of the Kyuubi cloak had clearly ruffled Erza's feathers and the animal beneath her was howling unpleasantly. Rising into the air above them, Naruto stretched his arms out and let the light shining froth from his form to bathe his enemies in an unearthly glow. "This, this is a bit more of what I can do. How are you holding up?"

Sweat dripped down her face as the impossible pressure of the somehow transformed youth bared down on her, yet she stood strong. "Ha, you believe that's enough to get rid of me? You have another thing coming if that's the case!"

She then blinked in shock and it was only by sheer luck she managed to raise her lance in time to block a completely unreadable attack as the teen blurred from vision above to reappear right in front of her face. The force of the hit was like all those fifty clones had rolled into one massive fist and unanimously thumped the front of her. A shriek of pain ripped from her mouth as she was blown backwards, clothes and hair snapping in the wind. Then, she abruptly stopped like she'd hit a solid wall, only this one was flesh and bone and glowing like the sun above.

Rebellious, swollen brown eyes met the cold, gold vengeance of Naruto's as the teen held her an arm's length from his body. The vile coating ate into the material around her neck and she tried to move her face away from the bubbling poison. She gagged slightly through the tightness and blood running through her lips but lost no composure. "If you're going to kill me make it swift. Though I've killed many of them, I never dragged out the deaths of your kind."

Fury burned in Naruto's mind as an unnoticed trace of blood thirst began pulling at him.

_'__Do it…'_

He shook his head as the mage in his grip sneered at him.

_'__She asked for it…' _

"What, too weak to finish what you started, scum?" Erza mocked as she spat blood up his arm.

_'__She killed members of your family…'_

"Stop it!" Shaking his head again, Naruto gave the woman a shake to try shut her up.

_'__Just twist the wrist…'_

The redhead's hands gripped Naruto's arm and tried pulling him in. "Haha! Is the possibility of having blood on your hands too much for you to handle? Maybe you're not as strong as I expected?"

_'__Break her neck…'_

Her voice caught as the fabric around her neck began tightening. Eyes twinkling, the mage continued her taunting. "That's… it? Ha, I've had… lovers hold me… tighter than… this."

_'__Murder her…'_

Naruto's second hand began slowly rising to her face.

_'__Torture her…'_

A small squeak was cut out as Naruto clamped his burning hand over her nose and mouth.

_'__Make her scream…'_

Her eyes widened as she realised he intended to drag it out. Legs began kicking into Naruto's stomach, groin and wherever else they might hit. Furious eyes screamed murder as she bit down hard on the inside of his hand. Naruto's cold eyes didn't even register the wound.

_'__Make her PAY!'_

***BOOM***

A massive explosion right below the duo threw them apart. Finally being free of those hands, Erza took a great gulp of air and let out a shrill whistle. Again, the Legion swooped in to catch her and not giving its Master a chance to speak any commands, turned and hightailed it away from that evil glowing demon its Master had been fighting. It could only handle so much intense pressure and those last few moments had nearly made it desert its comrade and flee the battle.

Naruto meanwhile snapped his mind's eye open as he realised what he was about to do. He shuddered as he fell through the air, Kyuubi cloak still wrapped up around him tightly. Mind clear now, the blond let Erza escape as he fell into the trees. He could have followed but honestly… thinking back on holding that wretched woman in his hands… he couldn't say how much of that had been the Kyuubi's influence compared to the anger he felt.

'You were spared this time. Don't risk it again.'

Twisting in the air, Naruto's keen eyes tracked the upcoming branches and lithely twisted through them to land with a heavy crunch in a kneeling position before two extremely shocked people. The glorious gold cloak around him lashed extra violently for a split second before it sucked back into him with a whoosh.

"He _is_ a Fairy Tail mage, right Jet?"

Lifting his cerulean eyes, Naruto blinked in surprise. "Levy? Jet? What, how are you here?"

The taller of the two snorted and crossed his arms. "Well, he knows us so that's a start at least." Frowning urgently, Jet stamped his foot. "You! Who are you and how can we trust that you're a part of the guild?"

"Uh…" Pushing himself up, Naruto held a hand out, the one with the Fairy Tail symbol tattooed into his palm. "That proof enough?"

"Yep, can you run?"

"Wait, wait, what's happening? Why are you rushing?" Naruto held both hands up now, trying to pace the awkwardly fast conversation.

That didn't work too well though as Jet suddenly snatched Naruto's jacket up and lifted the surprised teen off the ground. "Wake up dumb-ass, you were just fighting Erza freaking KNIGHTWALKER! You're lucky we came and blew the two of you apart else you'd just be another dead body to number in that bitch's tally book. Since she hasn't killed you though, she's gonna come looking for you! Now for the last time, _can you run?"_

Completely caught on his back foot, all Naruto could do was nod his head.

"Good." Dropping the blond, Jet hoisted Levy up onto his shoulders and picked up the small cannon the girl had been sitting on. "Try keep up."

His shoes suddenly glowed a bright blue and the mage spun around before kicking off and skating away from Naruto at an extremely high speed. Head spinning from the abrupt turn of events, the teen just stood there for a moment in shock before a rough scream of "HURRY UP ASSHOLE!" from Levy woke him from his stupor and had him dashing after the rapidly departing pair.

XxXxXxX

From what Naruto could count, they'd been near full sprint for the better part of fifteen minutes with not so much as a peep from either of Jet or Levy, except when they told him to shut up if he asked any questions. It had been frustrating, really frustrating since he had so many questions and he was getting ready to just overtake the two and beat some sense into them. Waiting was never his strong point and this was plenty long enough.

At that though, Jet skidded to a stop in a small grassy field amongst the trees. Quickly dropping Levy, the pair turned around and locked eyes with Naruto as he too skidded to a stop. Raising a confused eyebrow, the teen looked around. "So… where are we?"

Hearing the click of a barrel being loaded, Naruto slowly turned his stare back to Jet and Levy. The small girl was sitting back on her cannon, the nose pointed directly at him. "Alright, I'll bite. What's going on?"

"EXECUTION!"

Completely taken by surprise, Naruto just managed to duck under the arms that were aiming to wrap tight around his neck from behind. A pair of strong legs though closed around his torso and clamped down, locking his arms to his side. Rolling with the weight, the teen tucked his head, twisted in the tight grip and burst free from the legs with a spurt of chakra. Snapping an arm out, the blond caught his assailant by the collar and dragged them down to the ground with a harsh thump. Not even a squeak was able to burst free from their mouth as Naruto rammed the sharp end of a kunai up under their chin to snap their jaw shut.

Cold eyes glared up at the taken-aback duo as Naruto pushed his elbow into his captive's sternum and drove the air from their lungs. "Did you have any more tricks you want to pull or can we start the negotiations? As for you," looking down, anything the teen was going to say caught in his throat as he spluttered out "L-Lucy?"

Livid eyes glared up at him but she dared not move her head. Her tight fitting, black leather one piece suit was open most of the way down her front with various zip pockets spotted across her outfit. Her hand had been slowly reaching for her hip but Naruto's knee had firmly planted that to the ground.

Hearing an urgent rustling around him, the ninja watched as more and more of the people he knew and loved from Fairy Tail began creeping from the bushes, weapons trained on him, caution and a little bit of fear on their faces. Shaking his head, Naruto dropped the knife and held his hands up. "Alright, everyone just calm down! I don't even know what is going on. I have a hundred questions and I bet you all do too. I'm just gonna back off Lucy," pushing up using legs only, Naruto backed away from the glaring blond, "there, see? Now, what the hell is all this?"

Keeping his hands raised, Naruto watched as Droy knelt beside Lucy and swapped some quiet words. Spitting into the grass, the aggressive girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and pushed herself to her feet. "Me first bigshot. What the hell are you doing throwing around our guild name carelessly and _then_ tackling the Fairy Hunter?"

'Finally we're getting somewhere.' The blond made sure to reply quickly and move slowly. "Well for starters, I'm throwing your name around because it's mine too. See the mark?" He pointed at his palm. "As for Erza, well, she attacked me first and I retaliated."

That wasn't the right answer apparently as a vein pulsed on Lucy's forehead as she clenched a fist. "Then what the HELL is wrong with you? If you're really a part of this guild you know to NEVER engage her ever! Now you've gone and pissed her off even more than usual! You're lucky we got word of an apparent Fairy Tail member being attacked and sent help!"

Frowning, Naruto looked over at Levy and Jet, cannon still pointing straight at him. "I don't know how much they told you, but did they say who was winning?" Naruto then motioned to himself. "I don't have a scratch on me." They'd long since healed but they didn't need to know that.

An accusing finger was pointed at his face. "Those cheeks of yours speak otherwise."

"Oh," Naruto slapped his palms to his marks, "yeah these are natural. She didn't do this."

Droy's eyes narrowed under the dark glasses he was wearing and stared at the blond a bit more. Inclining his head, he spoke in a low voice to Lucy. "You know, he doesn't look like he's lying. Hell knows we've had enough Kingdom dogs try and infiltrate our ranks."

The shorter blond crossed her arms angrily as she looked up at her team mate. "Yeah, but I've never seen him anywhere before! Not much of a guild member if they never even show their freaking faces around."

Lashing a finger out, she lay the law down. "I don't trust you. You might have been fighting in our name, but I still don't trust you. Anyone who's ever tried their luck with that witch has either lost their lives or a good portion of their bodies. I'd execute you now if it wasn't for that."

Frowning, Naruto decided to show them a few more of his cards. Gotta give some to get some. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I'm a member of Fairy Tail, but not this world's. My guild and members have been stolen from Earthland via this thing called Anima which the king owns. I was startled at first because you are all identical to the people I know. You're not though are you? You are all native to Edolas hey."

"You… you're not of Edolas?" Levy frowned as she studied their target. "I've heard stories of that parallel dimension. Not much to go on. If you really are though, do something to prove it."

Naruto grinned. Time to shock some fairies. Laying his fingers in a cross, the blond called out "So I have a theory, none of you can actually use magic right? It's all weapon based." There was a small nod of agreement from everyone visible, most of them looking like Naruto had lost his brain. Of course no one could use magic!

"**Kagebunshin no Jutsu!" **And a mighty smoke cloud enveloped the field to all their surprise. Coughing rang out as the cloud rapidly dissipated. That was replaced by a single scream of shock which was quickly joined by others as they all looked at the now twenty identical blonds with bulging eyes.

"What the HELL DID YOU DO_?" _shrieked a stunned Levy, her finger wavering across the crowd of orange as she struggled to pick one to point at.

"This?" Naruto turned to his clones for a moment before they laughed at them openly. "Let's just say this is _real_ magic."

Dropping the technique, Naruto crossed his arms and waited. The entire guild was shaking after seeing the impossible, quite a few of them checking with their members to make sure they did actually just see that.

Swallowing, Lucy took a breath and ran a hand through her hair. Though her voice was stable, her hand shook as she pointed at the boy. "So, you are actually from this parallel dimension and your version of Fairy Tail was stolen by the king?"

Naruto nodded.

Sighing, the blond girl turned to look up at her partner. "Well… that does sound like something that rat of a king would do. Just another sin to add to his list. Still, it is shocking that there is a whole other version of 'us' over there."

She then studied Naruto's face. "However, for what you claim I would have thought your double would be someone I'd know. But I swear I have never ever seen you before. I'd know those scars of yours anywhere."

Naruto shrugged. Of course he didn't have a Naruto double running around. His dimension was who knows how far away usually. They didn't have to know that though.

Turning to her friends, the apparent leader of the guild spoke out in a loud voice. "Well, you've heard him. This isn't something I want to decide by myself. Majority rules, hands up those who don't trust him." A fair number went up straight away. Nodding, Lucy then called, "Those who do?" Another selection went up and Lucy counted the votes.

Placing her hands on her hips, she turned and eyed the blond male before her. "Alright… we'll trust you for now. You're on thin ice though, be careful not to break it."

Beaming them a trademark grin, Naruto nodded. "Yup, I got it!"

A very distant roar then reached their ears and instantly watchful eyes locked onto the sky. Lucy began backing up slowly, her shoulder nudging Droy in the process. "Quickly, gather all those who can't run as fast and get them home on your pods. We're leaving right now."

XxXxXxX

_A/N – and there we go. There was more I was feeling I could write but that's a good place to stop._

_So who's liking the change in pace? It's about time I think. Trust me, the wait is just as frustrating for me as it is for you. We got here though so expect things to continually get better!_

_Also, who's loving this Tartarous arc? Yes, I only follow anime, mostly because I'm too lazy to sit and read manga. I'll be honest, these last few months of Fairy Tail have been really depressing and slow. I'd been considering giving it up for a bit simply because the plot seemed so shallow and unplanned. But damn, that Tartarous arc was the bang that finally kicked the story back into gear! Super pumped on where it's going now and I'm really excited to see where it's being taken next. My big problem though, plot bunnies . oh the unbelievable possibilities this arc holds for someone like Naruto. This story will finish before then sorry, but if ever I was to write a sequel this arc is a must-include in my story._

_Anyway, do leave me a review on how you think everything went! I have my reservations about a few things but with good feedback I'll be able to continue to grow as an author!_

_Until then,_

_Lanky Nathan_


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